NFL power rankings are such an interesting exercise. In all honesty, they don’t mean a whole lot and they arbitrarily change from week to week. Why do we do them? It’s fun and interesting to compare teams on a weekly basis.
The Vikings are one of those teams that have been slotted all over the place throughout the season. Despite a 9-1 start, some analysts still had them towards number 10 while others ranked them at number one. All they needed to do to convice the national media that they were good is beat another team with some conviction. They haven’t done that since week one and that’s the issue.
This week’s power ranking are a lot of the same, but the blurbs from the analysts are what’s worth reading this week.
Nate Davis-USA Today
Last week: 7
This week: 8
Davis gives the Vikings credit but also doesn’t believe in them come playoff time.
“Historic, wonderful comeback … blah, blah. The fact they fell into a 33-point hole — at home — to say nothing of the seven sacks Minnesota surrendered or its three turnovers, is going to give whichever team(s) travels to Minneapolis during the playoffs plenty of confidence it can leave with a victory.”
Mike Florio-Pro Football Talk
Last week: 8
This week: 7
As per usual, Florio is taking a shot at the Vikings here with the power rankings.
“It’s one thing to come back from 33-0 against the Colts. It’s another to do it against, you know, a good team.”
Dan Hanzus-NFL.com
Last week: 7
This week: 8
Hanzus has the Lions, yes the Lions, ahead of the Vikings.
“The Vikings obviously have a sense of humor. They must know the football world has been in an ongoing debate about whether the team is a legitimate contender or an outright fraud — it’s the only possible explanation for falling behind the lowly Colts 33-0 at halftime on Saturday before mounting the greatest comeback in the 103-year history of the NFL. “You just need five touchdowns,” veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson told his offensive teammates at halftime. “That’s nothing.” The final touchdown came from Dalvin Cook, who nearly brought the roof down at U.S. Bank Stadium on the 64-yard screen-pass score with less than three minutes to play in regulation that set up Greg Joseph’s game-winner in overtime. Call them contenders, call them pretenders … just don’t call them boring.”
Pete Prisco-CBS Sports
Last week: 7
This week: 6
Prisco isn’t sure what to make of the Vikings but also believes this could be the start of a run.
“Rallying from 33 down to beat the Colts could be the game that gets this team going. Kirk Cousins was outstanding in the comeback.”
Frank Schwab-Yahoo! Sports
Last week: 7
This week: 7
The Vikings have a talented quarterback and Schwab says what a lot of us are thinking.
“If you want to entertain yourself, go to social media and say something like “Kirk Cousins actually isn’t that bad!” People lose their minds ripping Cousins. He’s the same quarterback who has seven fourth-quarter comebacks this season and put up 460 yards and four touchdowns in the greatest comeback in NFL history last week. Is Cousins great? No. He’s just a lot better than his detractors will ever admit.”
Vinnie Iyer-Sporting News
Last week: 8
This week: 6
Iyer has so little confidence in this team that he doesn’t have the blurb updated to include them winning the NFC North.
“The Vikings’ defensive woes have been lingering all season and they showed up in a big way in a atypical non-close game in Detroit. They still should win the NFC North soon, but there’s less confidence they will make much noise in the playoffs beyond the wild-card round.”
Austin Gayle-The Ringer
Last week: 9
This week: 7
Gayle said what I am thinking: no team is better in improbable situations.
“This Vikings’ season is hilarious. After pulling off the largest comeback in league history on Saturday, the Vikings clinched the NFC North and improved their record to 10-0 in one-score games. They have one of the best overall records in football and yet haven’t beaten a team by more than eight points since Week 1. Their plus-2 point differential is the lowest of any NFL team with 11 or more wins in the first 15 weeks of the season since 2000. But let’s save the regression talk for the offseason; the seemingly destined Vikings are in the playoffs. It’d take an improbable run to make the Super Bowl, but no team has proved better in improbable situations.”
NFL Nation-ESPN
Last week: 6
This week: 7
ESPN was impressed with the performance of one Duke Shelley.
“At one point this season, the Vikings had three of their top four cornerbacks — Cameron Dantzler Sr., Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr. — on injured reserve. Shelley, a four-year veteran signed to the practice squad in Week 1, has helped them navigate that distress better than anyone could have imagined. He didn’t get a single defensive snap until Week 10, but he has started two games and made game-saving plays in both of them. Although Dantzler is back from injured reserve, it appears that Shelley has supplanted him as the starter opposite Patrick Peterson. He has gotten his hands on five passes since Week 12.”
NFL Staff: Bleacher Report
Last week: 7
This week: 7
The NFL staff at Bleacher Report believes the defense will give them issues in the playoffs.
“Minnesota clinched the NFC North title with the victory. But the team’s nonexistent defense in the first half left Davenport wondering how this team will fare against the NFC’s best once the postseason starts.
‘Coming back from 33 down is a great story and all,’ he said. “But Minnesota allowed 36 points against one of the worst offenses in the league. This also marked the first time in over a month that the Vikings allowed less than 400 yards of offense.
‘The Vikings are a good team. But those defensive deficiencies can’t be overlooked—and they’re going to cost Minnesota in the playoffs.'”
Mark Lane-Touchdown Wire
Last week: 7
This week: 4
Lane believes in the Vikings, especially after the major comeback against the Colts.
“It is easy to criticize the Colts for their dysfunction in setting up such a scenario where the Vikings were able to overcome a 33-point deficit, but Minnesota deserve massive credit for actually pulling it off. The Vikings have a magical feel in 2022. The problem is there is another team of destiny that has a tiebreaker over them for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.”
