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| Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to lead the Vikings to a win over the 49ers in 1977. |
In the mid 1970s, many Minnesota Vikings fans probably wonder who would be the quarterback to take over for Fran Tarkenton when "Scramblin Fran" retired.
In week 12 of the 1977 NFL season, they got their answer when an unknown rookie named Tommy Kramer came off the bench to lead the Vikings to an historic comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers.
The Vikings entered their Week 12 game with the 49ers with a 7-4 record as they held a one-game lead over the Chicago Bears for the NFC Central Division lead.
The Vikings were led by head coach Bud Grant, who was in his 11th season as the Minnesota head coach having lead the Vikings to eight division championships, including four straight NFC Central division titles, and four Super Bowls which the Vikings all lost.
But the Vikings' hopes of a fifth straight division title and fifth trip to the Super Bowl looked to be dashed in week 9 of the season when Tarkenton was lost for the rest of the season with a broken leg.
While Kramer, the Vikings' first round pick from the 1977 NFL draft, came in to take over for the injured Tarkenton for the rest of the Week 9 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he was benched in favor of veteran backup quarterback Bob Lee, who got the start the next two weeks as the Vikings went 1-1 during those two games as Lee would get the start again as the Vikings hosted the 49ers.
The 49ers came in with a 5-6 record under first-year head coach Ken Meyer, who had led San Francisco back from a 0-5 start to the middle of the race for the NFC Wild Card spot(There was only one Wild Card spot in 1977).
The 49ers' offense was led by quarterback Jim Plunkett, who was in his second season in San Francisco after spending his first five seasons with the New England Patriots, and the running back tandem of Wilbur Jackson and Devlin Williams.
The 49ers hoped to ride Jackson and Williams past the famous "Purple People Eaters" and get back to.500 if they could pull off the win in frigid Minnesota as the game time temperature was 12 degrees with a wind chill of minus one degree at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington.
The Vikings got the ball to start the game as they drove from their 30-yard-line to the 49ers' 40-yard-line on six straight running plays until Lee threw an incomplete pass on 3rd & 5 to force Minnesota to punt the ball to San Francisco.
The 49ers took over at their 13-yard-line and like Minnesota did on its first possession, drove down the field primarily on the running gams as Williams and Jackson combined to run the ball 10 times for 45 yards to lead San Francisco to the Vikings' 28-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 1.
The 49ers decided to go for the 1st down but failed to convert as Jackson was stopped for no gain giving the ball back to the Vikings at their 28-yard-line.
The two teams would trade punts as the game moved into the second quarter when the 49ers had the ball at their 28-yard-line when they put together the best drive of the game thus far.
After two running plays picked up 15 yards, Plunkett dropped back to pass and threw a pass intended for Gene Washington that fell incomplete, only to have Vikings cornerback Bobby Bryant get called for pass interference, giving the 49ers a 1st down at the Minnesota 45-yard-line.
Williams would run for two yards on 1st down which was followed by a 20-yard pass from Plunkett to Jackson to give San Francisco a 1st down at the Vikings' 23-yard-line where three straight runs picked up nine yards to set up 4th & 1 at the Minnesota 14-yard-line when the 49ers decided to go for the 1st down.
This time they got it as Plunkett snuck to get the 1st down as the 49ers kept it on the ground for the next four plays culminating with a two-yard touchdown run by Williams to give San Francisco a 7-0 lead with 4:03 left in the second quarter.
The Vikings would get the ball back at their 36-yard-line and would drive to the 50-yard-line until Lee was sacked for a 10-yard loss by 49ers defensive tackle Cleveland Elam which was followed by a turnover as Lee lost the football following a sack by defensive end Tommy Hart which was recovered by Jimmy Webb to give San Francisco the ball at the Minnesota 42-yard-line.
With just 87 seconds left on the clock, the 49ers needed to move quickly if they hoped to get more points before halftime as the drive began with a 17-yard pass from Plunkett to Washington to give San Francisco a 1st down at the Vikings' 25-yard-line.
Four straight runs picked up 12 more yards until Plunkett threw an incomplete pass on 3rd & 10 forcing the 49ers to settle for a 31-yard field goal by Ray Wersching which increased the 49ers' lead to 10-0 with only 25 seconds left in the first half.
The Vikings would get great field position following the ensuing kickoff as they took over at their 49-yard-line, giving them a chance to drive down and kick a field goal before halftime.
But on the first play from scrimmage, Lee would be intercepted by 49ers cornerback Tony Leonard on a deep pass intended for Sammy White, allowing the 49ers to run out the clock to end the first half with San Francisco ahead 10-0 and set to get the ball to start the second half.
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| 49ers running back Devlin Williams ran the ball 27 times for 107 yards and scored two TDs. |
The Vikings were fortunate to be down only 10-0 as they complied only 49 yards of total offense while the 49ers had 180 as Minnesota looked to start the second half with a defensive stop.
However, the Vikings' defense would not get a chance to make a stand as Dave Williams returned the opening kickoff 80 yards for the touchdown to increase the 49ers' lead to 17-0 just 15 seconds into the second half.
It would not get better for the Vikings on the ensuing kickoff as Wersching's kick bounced off Dennis Swilley and was recovered by the 49ers' Jim Obradovich to give San Francisco the ball at its 44-yard-line.
However an holding penalty and a quarterback sack by Page forced the 49ers to punt the ball to the Vikings only to have returner Manfred Moore fumble the ball during his return which was recovered by Dave Williams to give San Francisco the ball at the Minnesota 39-yard-line.
The 49ers would drive to the Vikings' 19-yard-line until they were forced to settle for a 37-yard field goal attempt by Wersching which he made only to have it called back because of an illegal procdure penalty on the 49ers pushing them back five yards to the Minnesota 24-yard-line.
The penalty would prove costly as Wersching's 42-yard attempt sailed wide left and no good to keep it 17-0 as the Vikings got the ball at their 25-yard-line.
The Vikings would go three-and-out to punt the ball back to the 49ers when Dave Williams struck again as he returned the punt 60 yards to the Minnesota five-yard-line, giving the 49ers a 1st & goal and a chance to seemingly put out the knockout punch.
Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, Plunkett handed the ball off to Devlin Williams who ran it in for the five-yard touchdown to increase the 49ers' lead to 24-0 midway through the third quarter.
Even though they was still a full quarter and a half to play, it seemed like the game was over as the 49ers held a 24-point lead and the Minnesota offense sputtering.
If the Vikings were going to pull off a miracle, they needed a score on its next possession.
The Vikings would get the ball at their 26-yard-line as Lee threw two incomplete passes to start the drive until he completed a 18-yard pass to Ahmad Rashad for a Minnesota 1st down at its 44-yard-line when Lee went back to Rashad, this time completing a 12-yard pass to give the Vikings a 1st down at the 49ers' 44-yard-line.
Lee would go back to Rashad on 2nd & 6, completing a 13-yard pass for another Minnesota 1st down at the San Francisco 27-yard-line when the next three plays picked up five yards to set up 4th & 5.
Grant decided against kicking the field goal and went for the 1st down which he got as Lee connected with White for a seven-yard gain and a 1st down at the 49ers' 15-yard-line.
Then after an incomplete pass on 1st down, Lee completed a short screen pass to running back Brent McClanahan who turned into a 15-yard touchdown to put the Vikings on the board and cut the 49ers' lead to 24-7 with 3:20 left in the third quarter.
The Vikings would force the 49ers to punt to get the ball back at their 17-yard-line as the fourth quarter began when Lee was picked off by 49ers linebacker Willie Harper on a pass intended for McClanahan to give San Francisco the ball at the Minnesota 19-yard-line.
The 49ers decided to go for the knockout punch on the first play as Plunkett dropped back to pass and threw a pass toward the end zone that was caught by Washington for an apparent touchdown, only to have nullified as Washington was called for offensive pass interference to push the 49ers back 10 yards to the Minnesota 29-yard-line to face 1st & 20.
The 49ers would only pick up three more yards on the next three plays, forcing them to settle for a 43-yard field goal attempt by Wersching which was blocked to keep the score at 24-7 as the Vikings took over at their 26-yard-line with 12:43 left on the clock.
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| Vikings wide receiver Ahmad Rashad caught seven passes for 121 yards and one touchdown. |
It was here that Grant inserted Kramer into the game in hopes of providing his offense a spark as the Vikings needed three scores in the final 12:43 of regulation.
The drive would get off to a good start as Kramer hit Rashad for 22 yards and a 1st down at the Minnesota 48-yard-line which was followed by an incomplete pass to set up 2nd & 10 went Kramer went deep for Rashad, who caught a 39-yard pass to give the Vikings a 1st down at the San Francisco 13-yard-line.
An incomplete pass and an 49ers offsides penalty later, Kramer found Rashad in the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown to bring the Vikings to within 10 points at 24-14 with 11:08 left in the fourth quarter.
However, the touchdown came with a price as Rashad was knocked out of the game after a hard hit by 49ers cornerback Bruce Taylor on the touchdown catch.
Even though they were over 11 minutes to play, Grant called for an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff which was successful as Minnesota defensive back Tom Hannon recovered the onside kick to give the Vikings the ball at their 47-yard-line.
From there, Kramer completed a seven-yard pass to White to put the Vikings in 49ers territory, then threw an incomplete pass to force 3rd & 3 where Kramer hit running back Robert Miller for a three-yard pass and a 1st down at the San Francisco 43-yard-line.
Kramer would go back to Miller on the next two plays completing back-to-back passes that totaled 17 yards before going to tight end Bob Tucker who made a fingertip catch for a 1st down at the San Francisco nine-yard-line.
Kramer would then complete a short pass to Tucker, who turned into a nine-yard touchdown to bring the Vikings to within a field goal at 24-21 with 8:44 left in regulation.
However the San Francisco special teams would strike again on the ensuing kickoff as Leonard's 68-yard return gave the 49ers a 1st & goal at the Vikings eight-yard-line.
After two running plays picked up three yards, the 49ers went into their bag of tricks on 3rd & goal as Plunkett attempted a reverse handoff to wide receiver Kenny Harrison, who mishandled the handoff leading to a fumble that Harrison would recover at the Minnesota 14-yard-line, forcing the 49ers to settle for a 31-yard field goal by Wersching to make it 27-21 with 6:23 left in the fourth quarter.
The 49ers would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at their 37-yard-line with 5:17 left in the game and a chance to put the game away if they could pick up some 1st downs.
Paul Hofer, who took over for Jackson and Williams who were out of the game because of injuries, carried the ball twice for 12 yards to pick one 1st down, then was dropped for a three-yard-loss which was followed by a five-yard run to set up 3rd & 8 from the Minnesota 49-yard-line.
It became 3rd & 3 as the Vikings were called for offsides as Hofer ran for five yards and a 1st down at the Vikings' 44-yard-line.
Then after Bob Ferrell carried the ball twice for seven yards to set up another 3rd & 3, Hofer got the ball again only to fumble it as Vikings defensive tackle James White recovered the fumble at the Minnesota 31-yard-line giving the ball to the Vikings with 1:47 left and needing a touchdown to win.
That is when Kramer dropped back and went deep as he threw a 40-yard pass to Sammy White, who made the catch at the San Francisco 29-yard-line and then ran it in for a shocking 69-yard touchdown to tie the game at 27 with the all-important extra point coming up.
Fred Cox would successfully make the extra point to give the Vikings a 28-27 lead with 1:38 left to play as Minnesota needed one more defensive stop to pull off the miracle win.
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| Sammy White avoids a would be 49ers tackler on his way to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. |
The 49ers took over at their 34-yard-line as Plunkett threw an incomplete pass on 1st down then had his 2nd down pass intercepted by Vikings linebacker Jeff Siemon to give Minnesota the ball at the 50-yard-line with 78 seconds to go.
Kramer would take three knees to run out the clock as the Vikings had pulled off the greatest comeback in team history as they had overcome a 24-point deficit to win 28-27.
The 49ers would not recover from the loss as they lost their last two games to finish the season with a 5-9 record leading to Meyer's dismissal as head coach after just one season.
Things would get worse for the 49ers as they finished with a 2-14 record the following season leading to more changes in the offseason that would bring in Bill Walsh as head coach and Joe Montana at quarterback.
As for the Vikings, they would start Kramer the following week as Minnesota took on the Oakland Raiders as the Vikings were defeated 35-13 leading to Lee becoming the starting quarterback for the team's regular season finale against the Detroit Lions.
The Vikings would win that game 30-20 to clinch their fifth straight NFC Central division title as the Vikings would advance all the way to the NFC Championship Game as they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 23-6.
Tarkenton would return to play one more season for the Vikings before retiring after the 1978 season as Kramer would become the starting quarterback for Minnesota in 1979.
Kramer would start more than 100 games for the Vikings over the next 11 seasons as he threw for over 24, 000 yards and 154 touchdowns during that span, including the famous "Miracle At The Met" touchdown pass to Rashad as time expired to give Minnesota a win over the Cleveland Browns in 1980(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/10/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-vikings.html).
Kramer would be released following the 1989 season and signed with the New Orleans Saints where he played one game for them during the 1990 season before retiring from the NFL after the season.
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