Playoff Bowl 1969, Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings

Playoff Bowl

1969

January 5, 1969- Dallas Cowboys 17, Minnesota Vikings 13

For the second straight year, the Cowboys won the Capitol Division with a 12-2 record. Don Meredith passed for 2500 yards. It was his best statistical season with a 55.3% completion percentage and the second-best quaterback rating in the league behind Johnny Unitas. Lance Rentzel had 1009 receiving yards and Bob Hayes added another 909. Don Perkins carried the ball for 836 yards. The Baltimore Colts had finished the regular season 13-1 and everyone anticipated a Cowboys-Colts showdown in the conference championship game with the winner advancing to Super Bowl III. But first the Cowboys had to play the Cleveland Browns in the Eastern Conference championship game. Having beaten the Browns 28-7 in the regular season, confidence was high for another victory. The game proved to be anything but easy for the Cowboys as the Browns handed them a 31-20 defeat. The loss sent the Cowboys to the Playoff Bowl.

Bud Grant had guided the Vikings to the NFC Central Division championship. Joe Kapp led the Vikings with 1695 passing yards and Bill Brown had 805 on the ground. The upstart Vikings met Baltimore in their first ever playoff game for the Western Conference title. Baltimore and Minnesota played scoreless in the first quarter, but the Colts finally broke open the game halfway through the third quarter. Tight end John Mackey caught a short pass from Earl Morrall and slipped a tackle and ran 49 yards for the touchdown and a 21-0 Colt lead in the 3^rd. The Vikings tried to come back in the final period with two touchdowns, but lost 24-14.

The Vikings lost in the "Runner-up Bowl" to Don Meredith and the Dallas Cowboys, 17-13. The Cowboys won in a second half comeback. The Vikings jumped on Dallas to start the game with two Fred Cox field goals and an 81-yard punt return by Bobby Bryant. It appeared that the Cowboys bad play from the Cleveland game had followed them to Miami. But, Don Meredith hit Bob Hayes on a 51-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and the halftime score was 13-10. Craig Morton replaced Don Meredith at the half and hit Craig Baynham with a 20-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter for the winning margin. For the game, Meredith was 15 of 24 for 243 yards and voted the MVP. Cowboys’ greats, Meredith and Don Perkins retired following this game. Vikings quarterback, Joe Kapp was gracious enough to comment on the game for this article and had this to say:

“…..I believe back then the winning team received $2,000 for each player and the losing team received $1,000 per player. Motivation was difficult for both teams because the NFL wanted a resolution to third and fourth place but most of the players just wanted to go down to Florida and start recuperating from the long season. I personally looked at the Runner Up Bowl as the first game of a new season and a chance to start a winning streak since we had just lost in the Western Conference playoff game to the Colts in Baltimore. After beating the Packers twice in 1968, I felt great things were on the horizon for the Vikings as a team just as I had felt up in Canada in 1962 and 1963 and at the University of California in 1956 and 1957. The game has become ancient history and the lack of motivation by the players has made the game extinct. Go to www.joekapp.com and see where the future lies! "- Joe Kapp

Playoff Bowl In Jeopardy

MIAMI (AP)- The Dallas Cowboys beat the Minnesota Vikings 17-13 Sunday in what could be the last National Football League playoff Bowl game as it is now constituted- at least in Miami. The contract between the NFL and the Orange Bowl ended with Sunday's dull game before 22,961 rain drenched fans. Bowl officials apparently feel the game between second place finishers in the NFL's two conferences lacks interest for fans and players.

The NFL has two more years on a television contract for the game, and could decide to continue it at another site- New Orleans is believed interested- rather than change the format. Much thought is apparently being given to remaking the game into a playoff between the second place club in both the AFL and NFL.

As presently constituted, the game has nothing at stake, except the $1,200 share per player on the winning team and $500 for losing players. Dallas Coach Tom Landry said last week that this is a fun-work week and teams don't give the game the 24-hour concentration needed for a top performance.

Landry said after Sunday's game that the victory meant little, but his players were determined to show they could bounce back. "If we proved anything, we proved that this club can rebound." Landry said.

Dallas was down after blowing the Eastern Conference championship two weeks ago to underdog Cleveland 31-20. Landry said earlier he wasn't sure how his team would react from its big disappointment. He found out, although at the start it appeared Dallas was still suffering from its Cleveland hangover.

Minnesota, winner of the Central Division title, jumped to a 13-0 lead in the first period. Bob Bryant ran back punt 81 yards for a touchdown- longest return in the nine-year history of the Series- and Fred Cox kicked two field goals.

Dallas quarterback, Don Meredith, who only played the first half, got hot in the second quarter and, hitting 14 of 17 passes, including a 51-yarder to Bobby Hayes, drew the Cowboys to within three points at the half. After moving to the Minnesota four-yard line with just seconds remaining in the half, the Cowboys could go no further and Mike Clark kicked an 11-yard field goal.

Landry had high praise for Meredith. He rallied the Cowboys from a 13-0 first quarter deficit to 13-10 at halftime. Meredith completed 15 of 24 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown. He was named the game's outstanding offensive player and Minnesota defensive end Carl Eller was named the outstanding defender.

Landry sent Craig Morton in at quarterback for the second half. After Dallas linebackers Chuck Howley and Lee Roy Jordon pressured Minnesota punter King Hill into a 24-yard punt in the third period. Morton went to work. He completed a 21-yard pass to Craig Baynham for a first down at the 13. After losing to the 20, Morton hit Baynham again for the 20-yard winning touchdown. The winner came with three minutes left in the third quarter. Baynham took the pass at the five, eluded three Viking tacklers, and scored with the reception.

The game, which has produced over a million dollars in nine years for the players' pension fund, has been attacked from every angle over the past few years. But, Minnesota Quarterback Gary Cuozzo doesn't quite agree.

"I think it’s a great game," he said. "It's all for the players fund and that is what's important. Plus, it gives you a chance to come down here for a week or so."

"Many players resent having to work to provide insurance and retirement money for the rest of the league, which is sitting at home watching on TV. I don't agree with that." said Cuozzo. "It all works out in the end. Those guys sitting home may be here next year, putting money into the fund for me and the Vikings. It balances out.”

"Besides, I don't want to come here next year for this game. None of us do. We plan to be here for another game, the Super Bowl."