The Minnesota Vikings are one of the few teams with a variety of opinions going into week five. They got their first win of the season with a 21-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers, but it didn’t move many analysts.
This week’s power rankings have the Vikings viewed upward of 12 spots differently with the highest at 17 and the lowest at 29.
USA Today's Nate Davis
Last week: 25
This week: 24
Harrison Smith – “Harry the Hitman” – is still a lethal football assassin. The safety had three sacks Sunday, double his previous career best, including the strip-sack that led to a Minnesota recovery and TD return that finally flipped a game into the W column.
The Athletic's Josh Kendall
Last week: 25
This week: 17
The league’s third-most prolific passing offense (287.3 passing yards per game) finally got its first victory Sunday. Kirk Cousins leads the league in touchdown passes (11), but Sunday’s most chaotic play may have come when he threw a touchdown to the Panthers and then sprinted almost the length of the field only to get obliterated by a block.
Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer
Last week: 29
This week: 29
The Vikings worked on holding on to the ball a little more, despite Kirk Cousins giving up an early pick six in Carolina. They are finding their way on the ground to help their attacking in the air. Now they need to build on it for Kevin O’Connell.
NFL.com's Eric Edholm
Last week: 26
This week: 25
This team is still learning how to turn in a complete performance, but a win is a win. Kirk Cousins had his worst outing of the season, throwing two picks, both in the red zone, including a 99-yard pick-six. But the run game woke up and the defense made enough plays. Harrison Smith had a great day, recording three sacks, including the game-clincher, and his forced fumble was run back by D.J. Wonnum for the go-ahead touchdown. Wonnum was everywhere, too, with a sack and a near pick-six. After falling behind 10-0 early, the Vikings notched a hard-fought road victory. Baby steps.
Bleacher Report's NFL staff
Last week: 23
This week: 22
The Vikings finally reversed that trend on Sunday in Carolina, even if it took an ugly win to do it.
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for just 139 yards and tossed a pair of interceptions, one of which was returned 99 yards for a Panthers touchdown. But thanks to Minnesota’s best defensive effort of the year and a pair of Justin Jefferson touchdown grabs, the Vikings are finally in the win column.
After the win, Cousins credited the defense while talking to reporters.
“They made plays, scored a touchdown and Harrison Smith was phenomenal,” Cousins said. “That was big. For our defense to get us the momentum back as Carolina was driving, and to turn it into seven points for us was huge.”
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio
Last week: 28
This week: 25
The coin that always landed on heads last year finally got back there again.
ESPN's NFL Nation
Last week: 26
This week: 24
The Vikings have spent most of the season struggling to generate a pass rush, even as they’ve blitzed more frequently (55%) than any other team in the NFL. Part of the issue has been an ankle injury to outside linebacker Marcus Davenport, who played in only four snaps over the first three games. When Davenport returned in Week 4, he recorded a sack and helped spur the Vikings to five sacks in the second half of a 21-13 victory. But Davenport and Danielle Hunter are the only rushers the Vikings can depend on at this point to win one-on-one battles. — Kevin Seifert
CBS Sports' Pete Prisco
Last week: 29
This week: 29
They won their first game at Carolina, but it sure wasn’t pretty. They have to cut down on the mistakes as the Chiefs come to town.
Yahoo! Sports' Frank Schwab
Last week: 24
This week: 24
Safety Harrison Smith is still fantastic. He had 14 tackles and three sacks on Sunday, including sacks on second-and-goal and then fourth-and-goal with the Panthers trailing 21-13 in the final two minutes. Even at age 34, he’s a top safety in the NFL.
Vikigns Wire's Tyler Forness
Last week: 22
This week: 18
