5 absolute best Minnesota Vikings defenses of all-time

1. 1969 Minnesota Vikings

Notable Key Players:

Bobby Bryant, Karl Kassulke, Paul Krause, Gary Larsen, Earsell Mackbee, Jim Marshall, Alan Page, Lonnie Warwick, Roy Winston

Team Record: 12-2

The 1969 Vikings allowed 9.5 points per game. This was the best in the NFL, trailed somewhat distantly by eventual their Super Bowl foes, the Kansas City Chiefs. This Minnesota squad also allowed the fewest yards per game in the league while finished third in sacks and fourth in takeaways.

Most refutable pundits and critics rank the 1969 Vikings between the fourth and eighth-best defense of all-time. Teams such as the 1985 Chicago Bears, 2000 Baltimore Ravens, 1969 Kansas City Chiefs, and 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers routinely oust the ’69 Vikings from such top five analyses.

For perspective on how elite this 1969 squad truly was for Minnesota, they only allowed 12 touchdowns all season long. And that was after giving up three touchdowns to Fran Tarkenton and New York Giants in Week 1

They effectively allowed nine touchdowns in 13 games after the season opener. The 2019 Vikings, who ranked fifth in the NFL in points allowed, allowed 31 touchdowns.

All statistics from Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise stated.