Minnesota Vikings · Franchise era 2 of 7
The Purple People Eaters: the Minnesota Vikings story
Franchise era
1967—1979
The Purple People Eaters
Minnesota Vikings
The story in one sentence
Bud Grant's disciplined teams and a historic defensive front reached four Super Bowls and made Minnesota a permanent contender.
Four NFC championships without the final win
Fran Tarkenton, Alan Page and Carl Eller gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for between tarkenton and the dome.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1967
What came before
Tarkenton threw four touchdowns off the bench in the franchise's first game while the line of a future contender began taking shape.
1970-01-11
Super Bowl: Kansas City Chiefs vs Minnesota Vikings
1974-12-29
Conference Championship: Los Angeles Rams vs Minnesota Vikings
1975-01-12
Super Bowl: Minnesota Vikings vs Pittsburgh Steelers
After 1979
What came next
Minnesota remained dangerous, including a surprise 1987 NFC title-game run, while assembling the stars of its next offense.
The core