The NFL returned to the Twin Cities after three decades on September 17th at Metropolitan Stadium the expansion Minnesota Vikings took the field at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, with Coach Norm Van Brocklin, who was coming of his final season as Quarterback in which he led the Philadelphia Eagles to an NFL Championship. That Sunday afternoon the Vikings played their first game against the Chicago Bears a cornerstone franchise that was one of the NFL's original teams.

However, it was the upstarts led by rookie Quarterback Fran Tarkenton, by passing for 250 yards as the upstarts stunned the Bears 37-13. However, the expansion Vikings would come back to earth losing their next seven games on the way to finishing in last place with a 3-11 record.