1984 Minnesota Vikings season

1984 Minnesota Vikings season
1984 Minnesota Vikings season
General manager	Mike Lynn
Head coach	Les Steckel
Home stadium	Metrodome
Results
Record	3–13
Division place	5th NFC Central
Playoffs	Did not qualify
All-Pros	K Jan Stenerud (2nd team)
Pro Bowlers	K Jan Stenerud
Uniform

The 1984 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 24th in the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a 3–13 record, their worst record since the AFL–NFL merger, later equaled by the 2011 team, and the team's second worst overall record by win percentage (only 1962 was worse).

The Vikings' 484 points allowed (30.3 average points per game) was the most by any NFL team between 1983 and 2000,^[1] and the most any Vikings team allowed in one season. At the time, it was the third-most allowed in a 16-game season, trailing only the 1981 Baltimore Colts (533, still the record going into the 2021 season) and 1980 New Orleans Saints (487).

The team was coached by Les Steckel after Bud Grant retired; after the bad season, Steckel was fired and Bud Grant was re-hired.

Offseason

1984 draft

	Pro Bowler

1984 Minnesota Vikings Draft
Draft order		Player name	Position	College	Notes
Round	Selection	Player name	Position	College	Notes
1	13	Keith Millard	Defensive tackle	Washington State
2	40	Traded to the Houston Oilers^[A]
3	67	Alfred Anderson	Running back	Baylor
4	100	Traded to the Houston Oilers^[A]
5	127	Traded to the Los Angeles Raiders^[B]
5	140	Allen Rice	Running back	Baylor	from Raiders^[B]
6	154	Dwight Collins	Wide receiver	Pittsburgh
7	181	John Haines	Defensive tackle	Texas
7	196	Lloyd Lewis	Guard	Texas A&I	from Raiders^[B]
8	208	Paul Sverchek	Defensive tackle	Cal Poly
9	235	Keith Kidd	Wide receiver	Arkansas
10	268	James Spencer	Linebacker	Oklahoma State
11	295	Edgar Pickett	Linebacker	Clemson
11	308	Lawrence Thompson	Wide receiver	Miami (FL)	from Raiders^[B]
12	321	Mike Jones	Running back	North Carolina A&T	Originally Packers pick^[C]

Notes

^ ^a ^b The Vikings traded their second- and fourth-round selections (40th and 100th overall) to the Oilers in exchange for QB Archie Manning and TE Dave Casper.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d The Vikings traded their fifth-round selection (127th overall) to the Raiders in exchange for the a fifth-, seventh-, and 11th-round selections (140th, 196th and 308th overall).
^ The Vikings were due to pick 322nd overall but the Packers passed, allowing the Vikings to move up one spot.

1984 supplemental draft

1984 Minnesota Vikings Supplemental USFL/CFL Draft
Draft order		Player name	Position	College	Pro team
Round	Selection	Player name	Position	College	Pro team
1	13	Allanda Smith	Cornerback	TCU	Los Angeles Express
2	40	Robert Smith	Defensive end	Grambling State	Arizona Wranglers
3	67	David Howard	Linebacker	Long Beach State	Los Angeles Express

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance^[2]
1	August 4	Atlanta Falcons	W 37–6	1–0	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	51,693
2	August 11	Miami Dolphins	L 7–29	1–1	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	54,003
3	August 18	Philadelphia Eagles	L 10–31	1–2	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	51,743
4	August 24	at St. Louis Cardinals	L 0–31	1–3	Busch Memorial Stadium	31,210

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 2	San Diego Chargers	L 13–42	0–1	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	57,276
2	September 9	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 17–19	0–2	Veterans Stadium	55,942
3	September 16	Atlanta Falcons	W 27–20	1–2	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	53,955
4	September 23	at Detroit Lions	W 29–28	2–2	Silverdome	57,511
5	September 30	Seattle Seahawks	L 12–20	2–3	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	57,171
6	October 7	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 31–35	2–4	Tampa Stadium	47,405
7	October 14	at Los Angeles Raiders	L 20–23	2–5	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	49,276
8	October 21	Detroit Lions	L 14–16	2–6	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	57,953
9	October 28	at Chicago Bears	L 7–16	2–7	Soldier Field	57,517
10	November 4	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 27–24	3–7	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	54,949
11	November 11	at Green Bay Packers	L 17–45	3–8	Milwaukee County Stadium	52,931
12	November 18	at Denver Broncos	L 21–42	3–9	Mile High Stadium	74,716
13	November 25	Chicago Bears	L 3–34	3–10	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	56,881
14	November 29	Washington Redskins	L 17–31	3–11	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	55,017
15	December 8	at San Francisco 49ers	L 7–51	3–12	Candlestick Park	56,670
16	December 16	Green Bay Packers	L 14–38	3–13	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	51,197

Game summaries

Week 3: vs Atlanta Falcons

Week 3: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	3	3	7	7	20
Vikings	3	3	21	0	27

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: September 16
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
Game attendance: 53,955
Referee: Fred Wyant
Box Score, Box Score

Game information

First quarter

ATL – Mick Luckhurst 33-yard field goal, 7:32. Falcons 3–0. Drive:
MIN – Jan Stenerud 22-yard field goal, 3:39. Tie 3–3. Drive:

Second quarter

MIN – Jan Stenerud 54-yard field goal, 14:29. Vikings 6–3. Drive:
ATL – Mick Luckhurst 43-yard field goal, 6:04. Tie 6–6. Drive:

Third quarter

MIN – Leo Lewis 42-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Jan Stenerud kick), 12:10. Vikings 13–6. Drive:
ATL – Stacey Bailey 57-yard pass from Steve Bartkowski (Mick Luckhurst kick), 9:58. Tie 13–13. Drive:
MIN – Steve Jordan 21-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Jan Stenerud kick), 5:50. Vikings 20–13. Drive:
MIN – Dwight Collins 43-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:59. Vikings 27–13. Drive:

Fourth quarter

ATL – Billy Johnson 32-yard pass from Steve Bartkowski (Mick Luckhurst kick), 5:43. Vikings 27–20. Drive:

Top passers

ATL – Steve Bartkowski – 14/24, 195 yards, 2 TD, INT
MIN – Tommy Kramer – 15/30, 203 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

ATL – Gerald Riggs – 17 rushes, 83 yards
MIN – Darrin Nelson – 15 rushes, 96 yards

Top receivers

ATL – Stacey Bailey – 4 receptions, 102 yards, TD
MIN – Leo Lewis – 3 receptions, 69 yards, TD

Week 15: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 15: Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	7	0	0	7
49ers	14	17	6	14	51

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Date: December 8, 1984
Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C)
Game attendance: 56,670
Referee: Gordon McCarter
TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber (play-by-play) and Dick Vermeil (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com, The Football Database

Game information

First quarter

SF – Dwight Clark 44-yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick), 6:44. 49ers 7–0.
SF – Freddie Solomon 3-yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick), 1:41. 49ers 14–0.

Second quarter

MIN – Darrin Nelson 5-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 13:16. 49ers 14–7.
SF – Wendell Tyler 5-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 9:12. 49ers 21–7.
SF – Renaldo Nehemiah 59-yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick), 6:54. 49ers 28–7.
SF – Ray Wersching 41-yard field goal, 0:03. 49ers 31–7.

Third quarter

SF – Ray Wersching 25-yard field goal, 9:48. 49ers 34–7.
SF – Ray Wersching 38-yard field goal, 0:44. 49ers 37–7.

Fourth quarter

SF – Derrick Harmon 3-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 10:08. 49ers 44–7.
SF – Bill Ring 15-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 3:02. 49ers 51–7.

Top passers

MIN – Wade Wilson – 18/32, 212 yards, INT
SF – Joe Montana – 15/21, 246 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

MIN – Darrin Nelson – 7 rushes, 38 yards, TD
SF – Derrick Harmon – 11 rushes, 56 yards, TD

Top receivers

MIN – Leo Lewis – 3 receptions, 55 yards
SF – Renaldo Nehemiah – 6 receptions, 125 yards, TD

Standings

NFC Central
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Chicago Bears⁽³⁾	10	6	0	.625	7–1	8–4	325	248	W1
Green Bay Packers	8	8	0	.500	5–3	8–4	390	309	W3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6	10	0	.375	3–5	5–9	335	380	W2
Detroit Lions	4	11	1	.281	3–5	4–7–1	283	408	L3
	3	13	0	.188	2–6	3–9	276	484	L6

Staff

**1984 Minnesota Vikings staff**
	Front office President – Max Winter General manager – Mike Lynn Head coaches Head coach – Les Steckel Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Jerry Burns Offensive backfield – John Michels Receivers – Bob Leahy Offensive line – Dan Radakovich Special assistant – Dick Rehbein Quality control – Bus Mertes			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator/inside linebackers – Floyd Reese Defensive line – Tom Batta Defensive backfield – Ross Fichtner Quality control – Bob Hollway Special teams coaches Special teams/outside linebackers coach – Mike Sweatman Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Bud Bjornaraa Strength and conditioning – Dean Brittenham

^[3]

Roster

**1984 Minnesota Vikings roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 9 Tommy Kramer 4 Archie Manning 11 Wade Wilson Running backs (RB) 46 Alfred Anderson 23 Ted Brown 20 Darrin Nelson 36 Allen Rice 24 Maurice Turner Wide receivers (WR) 84 Dwight Collins 89 Mike Jones 87 Leo Lewis 85 Sammy White Tight ends (TE) 88 Don Hasselbeck 83 Steve Jordan 86 Mike Mularkey 81 Joe Senser		Offensive linemen (OL) 64 Grant Feasel C 61 Wes Hamilton G 60 Matt Hernandez T 76 Tim Irwin T 78 Steve Riley T 68 Curtis Rouse G 67 Ron Sams C 66 Terry Tausch G Defensive linemen (DL) 69 Hasson Arbubakrr DE 73 Neil Elshire DE 90 John Haines NT 65 Charlie Johnson NT 79 Doug Martin DE 91 Greg Smith DE		Linebackers (LB) 58 Walker Lee Ashley ILB 59 Matt Blair OLB 50 Dennis Fowlkes ILB 52 Dennis Johnson ILB 94 Chris Martin OLB 54 Fred McNeill OLB 57 Robin Sendlein OLB 55 Scott Studwell ILB Defensive backs (DB) 21 Rufus Bess CB 47 Joey Browner CB/FS 43 Jeff Colter CB 25 Marcellus Greene CB 45 Tommy Hannon SS 39 Carl Lee FS 29 John Swain CB 37 Willie Teal CB 34 Dan Wagoner SS Special teams (ST) 8 Greg Coleman P 3 Jan Stenerud K		Reserve -- Melvin Brown CB (IR) -- Melvin Brown WR (IR) 82 Bob Bruer TE (IR) 63 Robert Cobb NT (Left squad) 51 Jim Hough C (IR) -- Keith Kidd WR (IR) 77 Mark Mullaney DE (IR) 49 Keith Nord S (PUP) -- James Spencer LB (IR) Rookies in italics Source

Statistics

Team leaders

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Tommy Kramer	1,678
Passing touchdowns	Tommy Kramer	9
Rushing yards	Alfred Anderson	773
Rushing touchdowns	Ted Brown Darrin Nelson	3
Receiving yards	Leo Lewis	830
Receiving touchdowns	Leo Lewis	4
Points	Jan Stenerud	90
Kickoff return yards	Darrin Nelson	891
Punt return yards	Darrin Nelson	180
Tackles	Carl Lee	100
Sacks	Randy Holloway	5
Interceptions	Rufus Bess	3

League rankings

Category	Total yards	Yards per game	NFL rank (out of 28)
Passing offense	2,872	179.5	22nd
Rushing offense	1,844	115.2	18th
Total offense	4,716	294.8	25th
Passing defense	3,779	236.2	26th
Rushing defense	2,573	160.8	27th
Total defense	6,352	397.0	28th

References

^ Most Points Allowed: 1983 to 2000
^ "1984 Minnesota Vikings". The Pro Football Archives. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
^ 2010 Minnesota Vikings Media Guide. p. 265. Archived from the original on December 24, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2011.

[Oilers-2] The Vikings traded their second- and fourth-round selections (40th and 100th overall) to the Oilers in exchange for QB Archie Manning and TE Dave Casper.

[Raiders-3] The Vikings traded their fifth-round selection (127th overall) to the Raiders in exchange for the a fifth-, seventh-, and 11th-round selections (140th, 196th and 308th overall).

[4] The Vikings were due to pick 322nd overall but the Packers passed, allowing the Vikings to move up one spot.

[1] Most Points Allowed: 1983 to 2000

[5] "1984 Minnesota Vikings". The Pro Football Archives. Retrieved September 8, 2018.

[6] 2010 Minnesota Vikings Media Guide. p. 265. Archived from the original on December 24, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2011.

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Minnesota Vikings
Founded in 1961 Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota Headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota
Franchise	Franchise History Expansion draft All-time roster First-round draft picks Quarterbacks Head coaches Seasons Records Draft Broadcasters Ownership Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center
Stadiums	Metropolitan Stadium Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome TCF Bank Stadium U.S. Bank Stadium
Culture	Purple People Eaters "Skol, Vikings" How I Met Your Mother "Little Minnesota" "Tailgate" Cheerleaders Alan Roach Truth Hurts (song) Quarterback "Higher" (Creed song)
Lore	The Wrong Way Run Hail Mary Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy Santa Claus game Miracle at the Met Herschel Walker trade Gary Anderson's missed field goal Love Boat scandal Minneapolis Miracle 33–0
Rivalries	Chicago Bears Dallas Cowboys Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Los Angeles Rams New Orleans Saints
Division championships (21)	1968 1969 1970 1971 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1980 1989 1992 1994 1998 2000 2008 2009 2015 2017 2022
Conference championships (4)	1969 1973 1974 1976
League championships (1)	1969
Retired numbers	10 53 70 77 80 88
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: National Football Conference Division: North Division

Minnesota Vikings seasons
1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Bold indicates NFL Championship (1920–69) or Super Bowl (1966–) victory Italics indicates Super Bowl (1966–) appearance