The 2022 Vikings, According to All National Power Rankings: Week 7

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Oct 18, 2022
The 2022 Vikings, According to All National Power Rankings: Week 7
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Danielle Hunter (99) pressures Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) during the third quarter of an NFL game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Oct. 16, 2022. © JIM RASSOL/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK.

Each week, VikingsTerritory catalogs the Minnesota Vikings placement in national power rankings. Eleven sources are vetted, detailed, and plopped here for reference.

The Vikings defeated the Miami Dolphins last weekend, 24-16, with a win that secured the team a two-game lead atop the NFC North. Minnesota’s offense was chilly early on, but thankfully for the team’s sake, the defense displayed its best game of 2022. All told, Ed Donatell’s defense forced three turnovers while allowing just 16 points.

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) gets sacked by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Za’Darius Smith. © JIM RASSOL/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK.

Minnesota now has around 18:1 odds of winning the Super Bowl in 2022, a tick up from the 20:1 probability last week.

Per EPA/Play, the Vikings own the NFL’s 14th-best offense and 13th-best defense after Week 6. Somehow via that efficiency metric, Minnesota’s defense has climbed 10 spots in two weeks, thanks to commendable showings against the Bears and Dolphins.

These are the Vikings weekly power rankings heading into Week 7.

[format = ranking entity: power ranking position (variation from last week)]

Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports.

The national average of these totals is 5.0. The world believes the Vikings are about the NFL’s 5th-best team. Last week, Minnesota was around the 8th.

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Nate Davis from USA Today wrote about the current state of the Vikings, “They’re one of only four teams with five wins, flimsy as their record might feel. Winners of four straight, none by more than one score, Minnesota players best avoid getting big heads heading into their bye.”

The Vikings are one-point favorites to beat the Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 8 (two weeks from now).

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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).