The 1974 season was one of the strangest and most difficult in the history of the Green Bay Packers. Dan Devine’s team were 10-point underdogs heading into their Week 10 game against the Minnesota Vikings in Bloomington. But the Pack surprised everybody by pulling off an upset win. Running back MacArthur Lane painfully crashed into a chain link fence in the end zone after scoring the game-clinching touchdown as the Packers upset the Vikings in Minnesota. This would be the next to last win for Devine as Packers coach.

MacArthur Lane Crashes into the Fence as the Packers Upset the Vikings: The Buildup

The Packers entered this game in turmoil. The team had a 4-5 record, but Devine had struggled to find a quarterback to go with the team’s strong defense and the running tandem of Lane and John Brockington which helped them win the NFC Central title two years earlier. There were rumors that the locker room was divided with some players supporting Devine and some that did not respect the way he coached the team.

In 1974, Jerry Tagge and Jack Concannon started games for the Packers but neither was effective. In six starts, Tagge threw one touchdown and 10 interceptions while completing just 47.9 percent of his passes. Concannon wasn’t much better, throwing one touchdown and three picks in two starts.

A few weeks earlier, Devine made what many consider the worst trade in Packers history when he acquired aging quarterback John Hadl from the Los Angeles Rams. He gave up two first round picks, two second round picks and a third rounder for Hadl who the Rams had just benched for poor play.

Originally, Devine had a deal in place to acquire Archie Manning from the Saints, but injuries prevented that deal from going through. Instead, he paid a king’s ransom for Hadl.

The Packers were barely hanging on to playoff hopes entering this game at 4-5 against the defending NFC champion Vikings who were 7-2.

The Packers Take the Lead But Can’t Put the Vikings Away

While Hadl was starting just his second game since joining the Packers, Devine thought the Packers needed to run the ball effectively if they had any chance of pulling off the upset. They gave Brockington the ball 32 times in this game and the big back gained 137 yards to pace the Green Bay attack. It also kept the Vikings potent offense off the field. Brockington finished the game with 203 total yards from scrimmage.

The Vikings had trouble moving the football against a tough Packers defense. In fact, the defense held Minnesota to just 74 rushing yards all game. Packers safety, Al Matthews also intercepted Fran Tarkenton to end one drive.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Packers started to move the football. They just couldn’t finish their drives in the red zone. They had to settle for a pair of field goals by Chester Marcol. The first came from 28 yards out, the second from 31. That gave the Packers a 6-0 lead.

The Packers almost scored a touchdown of their own, but Brockington fumbled into the end zone and the Vikings recovered to end a threat and give the Vikings the ball on their own 20.

The 6-0 lead held until halftime which kept it a one score game.

MacArthur Lane Crashes into the Fence as the Packers Upset the Vikings: The Second Half

The Packers kept moving the ball in the second half. In the third quarter, Marcol booted a 19-yard field goal. Early in the fourth, Marcol added an 18-yard field goal to give Green Bay a 12-0 lead, but the game was still too close for comfort.

The Vikings started a comeback midway through the final quarter. Tarkenton capped the drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Pro Bowl running back Chuck Foreman and suddenly, it was a one-score game again with a little more than five minutes left.

The Packers got the ball back and managed to finally put the game away. Hadl dropped back and found Lane who circled over the middle and caught the ball at the Green Bay 45. Lane headed towards the left sideline and outran Paul Krause to reach the end zone, 55 yards away. The play covered 68 yards and put the game away.

When Lane crossed the goal line, he was running at full speed. He raised the ball over his head and tried to celebrate the touchdown with a reverse spike. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stop. The only thing that finally halted the running back’s progress was a roll of tarp in the left corner of the end zone which he tripped over before crashing hard into a chain link fence. In that moment, Lane immortalized himself in NFL Films Football Follies shows. Thankfully, the big running back was OK.

“We were just trying to get a first down,” Hadl said of the big play.

“It was a good call and a good play,” Vikings coach Bud Grant admitted after the game. “Hadl was the best quarterback in the league last year and you don’t win that with coupons.”

The Packers led 19-7 which was the final score.

The Aftermath

The victory evened the Packers record at 5-5 and left them two games behind the Vikings with four games remaining.

In the game, Hadl became only the fifth player in NFL history to throw for 30,000 or more yards in his career.

Things were actually looking up for the Packers after this, their second straight win in Hadl’s second start as a Packer. The fans were excited, too. “When we beat Minnesota and flew back home there were probably 5,000 people at the airport waiting to greet us,” Hadl recalled.

But the team was fraying at the seams. “There’s been a lot of pressure on the coaching staff and the ballplayers,” Packers middle linebacker Jim Carter said after the game. “There are rumors circulating all the time about some new coaches. Two victories in a row, I hope will help some. I sure hope so.”

The Packers even made it three wins in a row, beating the San Diego Chargers 34-0 the following week. But it wouldn’t last. The Pack lost their last three games of the season and finished 6-8.

By the time the season ended, the Packers unity was shot. They almost boycotted the season finale against the Atlanta Falcons because they were not happy with Devine. Before he could be fired, Devine accepted the head coaching job at Notre Dame and the Packers brought in Bart Starr as their new head coach for 1975.

But for this game, the Packers upset the Vikings who returned to lose in the Super Bowl for the second straight season. It was the highlight of Hadl’s tenure in Green Bay and Lane had a memorable, if embarrassing finish. You can watch highlights from the game here.

 

 

 

Follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers

Click here for more great Packers coverage