The Vikings thought an upgraded offense would enable them to reverse their recent fortunes during the playoffs and return to the Super Bowl. Yet those plans faded after the team suffered a series of physical setbacks and dropped four of their first six games before losing three of their last four to finish the 1972 slate with a .500 record.

The campaign began with mixed emotions. Optimism was high after Minnesota acquired quarterback Fran Tarkenton from the New York Giants and wide receiver John Gilliam from St. Louis. After five seasons in the Big Apple, Tarkenton ranked third in the league in passing while tossing 18 touchdowns and setting a club record with 115 consecutive attempts without an interception. Gilliam earned a spot in the Pro Bowl by leading the purple with 47 receptions for 1,035 yards, the highest total in Viking lore at that point. Tackle Ron Yary earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition, yet those efforts were not enough to offset an injury to receiver Gene Washington and the inability of the Minnesota running backs to rumble for long gains.

Defensively, the Vikings were not as strong as they had been the previous three seasons. Nagging ailments to Alan Page, who joined Paul Krause as the defense's lone Pro Bowl performers, Carl Eller and Gary Larsen limited the effectiveness of the line. Middle linebacker Lonnie Warwick also missed eight games and was replaced by rookie Jeff Siemon, a first-round pick who played well but showed his inexperience at times. As a result, the defense surrendered 113 more points than it did in 1971.

Minnesota also seemed snakebit in the early stages of the season. A blocked punt return for a touchdown by bill Malinchak proved to be the difference in a season-opening, 24-21 loss to Washington. The Vikings also lost consecutive two-point decisions to Miami and St. Louis, with both teams posting come-from-behind victories. There were big moments, such as Tarkenton's brilliant performance in a 45-51 win over Los Angeles, when the Scrambler threw touchdown passes of 76, 70 and 66 yards.

But such momentum could not be found on a consistent basis. The team remained in playoff contention with two games to play before Green Bay shut down the Minnesota offense and beat the purple, 23-7, on December 10 to end the Vikings four-year run as Central Division champs.

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	PROFILES ON EVERY VIKING PLAYER--NEARLY 700 IN ALL;
	ALL-TIME TEAM RECORDS;
	MORE THAN 100 HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS;
	9x12 FORMAT WITH FULL COLOR DUST JACKET