Dec. 6, 1964 - The New York Giants were consistent today. They lost.
The 30-21 winners before a capacity crowd of 62,802 at Yankee Stadium were the Minnesota Vikings, an ambitious young team in purple pants that did not play very well by the admission of its coach, Norm Van Brocklin. It didn’t have to. (Pictured below, Viking tackle Paul Dickson reaches Giant quarterback Y.A. Tittle.)
The home side, which lost its ninth game of the season, tying a Giant record, was ahead twice for brief periods, but the game turned on two quick plays at the start of the final quarter.
On the first, Tommy Mason, Minnesota’s all‐league halfback, returned a punt 36 yards to the New York 30-yard line. On the next play, Fran Tarkenton, the Viking quarterback, passed to Bill Brown, the fullback, at the edge of the end zone for a touchdown. Jerry Hillebrand, the defender, had no chance to break it up. That gave the Vikings a 27-21 lead and eventually, the game, which was less than fascinating.
“That punt return killed us,” said Al Sherman, the losing coach. “We’ve covered every kick for about six weeks, but not that one.”
The damaged defensive secondary also hurt the Giants again. Andy Nelson, the safety, was beaten by the Vikings’ tight end, Hal Bedsole, on three passes, one going 43 yards for a touchdown.
Tarkenton, who has had many stronger games, was the passer. He also hit Paul Flatley, his split end, on a 48-yard play that set up Minnesota’s second touchdown in the second period and put the Vikings ahead, 17-7.
Allen Webb was covering Flatley, and Webb had his hands full. Tarkenton would have done well to pass to Flatley more often, in the opinion of Van Brocklin.
“We had the receivers open,” said the coach. “If Fran had unloaded his passes as quickly as Gary Wood did for the Giants, we would have had a bushel of touchdowns.”
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