First off, let's address that picture of ex-Minnesota coaches Les Steckel (left, Vikings) and Lou Holtz (right, Gophers). It is a gift. A gift discovered quite casually during a search of "Steckel" in our Star Tribune photo archive. We believe everyone should treasure this gift. Put it in your mental time capsule. Label it "1984 Minnesota football." And never forget. Now that you are properly composed, we wanted to take a few minutes of your time to examine the 1984 Vikings, with a simple question: Just how bad were they? Or put another way: Were they terrible, as everyone says, or were they merely bad? Let us lay out the evidence in a series of bullet points.

*Through 10 games, the 1984 Vikings weren't actually that terrible. They had a 3-7 record, including four losses by four points or fewer. This included a 35-31 setback against Tampa Bay when Minnesota outgained the Bucs 543-314 and still lost. Bet that minus-5 turnover differential played a role. ... However, in the team's final 6 games the wheels completely came off. The Vikings lost all six by a combined 241-79, and no final margin was closer than two touchdowns. This is not irrefutable proof that the team had quit on Les Steckel, but it is at least very compelling evidence that -- top hat and tux or not -- the song and dance had grown old.

*For the season, the Vikings allowed 484 points -- more than 30 per game -- to finish dead last in the NFL.

*Minnesota, which long prided itself on a fearsome, opportunistic defense, intercepted just 11 passes all season (while allowing 35 TDs through the air). Of course, the 2011 Vikings have just 6 interceptions. Tomato, tomato.

*Three different QBs started games -- Tommy Kramer, Wade Wilson and Archie Manning -- but the player who finished with the highest passer rating was fullback Alfred Anderson. Anderson was also their leading rusher at 773 yards. If not for the heroic kicking of Jan Stenerud, who was 20-for-23 (including 3 of 4 from 50 and beyond) while turning 42 that year, Anderson might very well have been Minnesota's MVP that year. So there's that.

*The Vikings allowed 64 sacks while recording just 25 of their own.

Conclusion: That was a very bad team. Maybe not 100 percent terrible as evidenced by their first 10 games, but certainly very bad. And lest we foist all the blame on Steckel, please don't forget that he had the personal stamp of approval from Bud Grant himself, Per a Sid Hartman column from Jan. 29, 1984 (the new microfilm machine is getting a workout today, and it is awesome, by the way):