| Team: | Minnesota Vikings |
| Year: | 1961 |
| Record: | 3–11 |
| Division Place: | 7th NFL Western |
| Coach: | Norm Van Brocklin |
| General Manager: | Bert Rose |
| Stadium: | Metropolitan Stadium |
| Playoffs: | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers: | RB Hugh McElhenny TE Jerry Reichow |
| Uniform: | File:Vikings 1961.png |
| Previous: | None |
| No Prevseason: | true |
| Shortnavlink: | Vikings seasons |
The 1961 season was the Minnesota Vikings' first in the National Football League (NFL) after being created as an expansion franchise to become the league's fourteenth team. Their inaugural regular season game was a 37–13 victory at home to the Chicago Bears; rookie quarterback Fran Tarkenton came off the bench to toss four touchdown passes and run for another.[1] However, under head coach Norm Van Brocklin, the Vikings won just two of their remaining 13 games, including a seven-game losing streak, and finished the season with a 3–11 record.
The Vikings' defense surrendered 5.41 rushing yards per attempt in 1961, the fifth-most of all time.[2]
Although the NFL originally had no interest in expanding, after Max Winter and Bill Boyer agreed to start an American Football League (AFL) franchise in Minnesota, the NFL approached them to change leagues. The "Vikings" name was given to the team by Ole Haugsrud, who had been given a 10% stake in the franchise as a result of having sold the Duluth Eskimos back to the league in the 1920s.[3]
See main article: 1961 NFL draft.
| Pro Bowler | ||
| Hall of Famer |
| 1961 Minnesota Vikings Draft | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Notes | ||
| Round | Overall | |||||
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 15 | |||||
| 3 | 29 | |||||
| 4 | 43 | Played with Vikings in 1962–63 | ||||
| 5 | 57 | |||||
| 6 | 71 | |||||
| 7 | 85 | Allan Ferrie | ||||
| 8 | 99 | Paul Lindquist | ||||
| 9 | 113 | Dan Sheehan | ||||
| 10 | 127 | |||||
| 11 | 141 | |||||
| 12 | 155 | Played with Vikings in 1962–63 | ||||
| 13 | 169 | |||||
| 14 | 183 | |||||
| 15 | 197 | |||||
| 16 | 211 | Ted Karpowicz | ||||
| 17 | 225 | Willie Jones | ||||
| 18 | 239 | Bob Voigt | ||||
| 19 | 253 | |||||
| 20 | 267 | Mike McFarland | ||||
See main article: 1961 NFL expansion draft.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 5 | Dallas Cowboys | L 13–38 | 0–1 | 4,954 | ||
| 2 | August 18 | at Baltimore Colts | L 3–13 | 0–2 | Memorial Stadium | 10,203 | |
| 3 | August 26 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 10–14 | 0–3 | 27,044 | ||
| 4 | September 2 | Chicago Bears | L 7–30 | 0–4 | 12,500 | ||
| 5 | September 10 | Los Angeles Rams | L 17–21 | 0–5 | Metropolitan Stadium | 27,982 |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 17 | Chicago Bears | W 37–13 | 1–0 | Metropolitan Stadium | 32,236 | |
| 2 | September 24 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 7–21 | 1–1 | Cotton Bowl | 20,500 | |
| 3 | October 1 | at Baltimore Colts | L 33–34 | 1–2 | Memorial Stadium | 54,259 | |
| 4 | October 8 | Dallas Cowboys | L 0–28 | 1–3 | Metropolitan Stadium | 33,070 | |
| 5 | October 15 | San Francisco 49ers | L 24–38 | 1–4 | Metropolitan Stadium | 34,415 | |
| 6 | October 22 | Green Bay Packers | L 7–33 | 1–5 | Metropolitan Stadium | 42,007 | |
| 7 | October 29 | at Green Bay Packers | L 10–28 | 1–6 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 44,112 | |
| 8 | November 5 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 17–31 | 1–7 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 38,594 | |
| 9 | November 12 | Baltimore Colts | W 28–20 | 2–7 | Metropolitan Stadium | 38,010 | |
| 10 | November 19 | Detroit Lions | L 10–37 | 2–8 | Metropolitan Stadium | 32,296 | |
| 11 | November 26 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 28–38 | 2–9 | Kezar Stadium | 43,905 | |
| 12 | December 3 | Los Angeles Rams | W 42–21 | 3–9 | Metropolitan Stadium | 30,068 | |
| 13 | December 10 | at Detroit Lions | L 7–13 | 3–10 | Tiger Stadium | 42,655 | |
| 14 | December 17 | at Chicago Bears | L 35–52 | 3–11 | Wrigley Field | 34,539 |
This was the first regular season game in Vikings history. George Shaw started the game at quarterback for the Vikings, but he was soon replaced by rookie Fran Tarkenton, who threw four touchdown passes and ran for another as the Vikings won 37–13.[1] They were the last expansion team to win their first game until the 2002 Houston Texans.
Both halfback Hugh McElhenny and receiver (end) Jerry Reichow were voted to the East–West Pro Bowl game, played January 14, 1962, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The coach for the West squad was Vikings head coach Norm Van Brocklin. McElhenny scored a third-quarter touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr, and the West won the game 31–30.[4]
| width=150 style="" | Category | width=150 style="" | Player(s) | width=75 style="" | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 1,997 | ||||
| Passing touchdowns | 18 | ||||
| Rushing yards | 570 | ||||
| Rushing touchdowns | 5 | ||||
| Receiving yards | 859 | ||||
| Receiving touchdowns | 11 | ||||
| Points | 66 | ||||
| Kickoff return yards | 603 | ||||
| Punt return yards | 155 | ||||
| Interceptions | 5 | ||||
| Sacks | Jim Marshall | 6 |
| width=150 style="" | Category | width=100 style="" | Total yards | width=110 style="" | Yards per game | width=80 style="" | NFL rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passing offense | 1,989 | 142.1 | 13th | ||||
| Rushing offense | 1,897 | 135.5 | 6th | ||||
| Total offense | 3,886 | 277.6 | 12th | ||||
| Passing defense | 2,926 | 209.0 | 13th | ||||
| Rushing defense | 2,667 | 190.5 | 14th | ||||
| Total defense | 5,593 | 399.5 | 14th |