It’s been well known that the Vikings have deployed some of the best pass rushers in NFL history.
It was hard for younger generations to grasp just how good the defensive linemen of old were, especially players who were getting to the quarterback before 1982. That year was when sacks started being officially recorded.
Pro Football Reference is trying to change that, putting sack numbers from 1960 through 1981 on their website.
That helped contextualize how good some of the old defensive lines used to be, such as the “Purple People Eaters,” the legendary defensive line unit on the Vikings.
Here are updated sack numbers for a few former Vikings players, followed by their rank from 1960 through 1981:
