ESPN Gives Vikings a Boost in Latest NFL Power Rankings
The Minnesota Vikings captured their eighth win of the 2024 season this weekend with a 23-13 win over the Tennessee Titans.
Despite Minnesota’s 8-2 record, many have overlooked the team as a potential Super Bowl contender, in part because of Sam Darnold’s presence at quarterback. However, after the team’s third consecutive win, ESPN decided it was time to give Minnesota a bit of a bump in its most recent NFL power rankings.
ESPN Boosts Vikings in Latest NFL Power Rankings
ESPN’s NFL Nation crew released its Week 12 power rankings on Tuesday morning, and in those rankings, the Minnesota Vikings landed at the No. 6 spot on the list. It was a boost from No. 8 in Week 11.
Of course, the Detroit Lions landed at the No. 1 spot following their shellacking of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday paired with the first loss of the season from the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the Vikings remain the second-highest team in the NFC North, ahead of the Green Bay Packers at No. 8 and the Chicago Bears at No. 23.
Here is a look at the teams ahead of Minnesota heading into Week 12:
- Detroit Lions
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Buffalo Bills
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Pittsburgh Steelers
In the process of moving up to No. 6, the Vikings leapfrogged the Baltimore Ravens (No. 7) and Washington Commanders (No. 10).
In addition to ranking each team, ESPN provided an updated look at names of coaches/front office members/players who were listed on the “hot seat” heading into the season. Of course, ESPN placed Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on the hot seat headed into the year.
Now, though, the NFL Nation crew has decided that Adofo-Mensah’s seat is no longer hot and is in fact cold, suggesting that he is safe in his role as Vikings GM. Here is a look at what Kevin Seifert had to say about Minnesota’s GM:
“Adofo-Mensah is the general manager of a team that has surprised the NFL by starting 8-2 despite the season-long loss of rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee). His 2024 draft hasn’t helped much, similar to the 2022 and 2023 drafts, but Adofo-Mensah’s free agent class — including linebackers Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman, along with cornerback Stephon Gilmore — has been fantastic. There was never a high likelihood that Adofo-Mensah would be fired this winter, but the team’s performance raises the chances that he will receive a contract extension.”
Indeed, despite some lackluster performance from some draft picks once again, Adofo-Mensah has proven to have a very astute eye in free agency with virtually the entire group of top names signed this spring playing crucial roles on this roster.
Additionally, we cannot entirely blame Adofo-Mensah for a lack of production from the rookies. J.J. McCarthy, of course, tore up his knee in the first preseason game and lost the entirety of his season. Dallas Turner is also playing among a very deep, veteran heavy group of edge rushers this season, so we probably need to wait until 2025 to truly get an idea of what the Alabama product can be as a player.
It has been a very impressive first ten games for the Vikings, and the general manager’s fingerprints are all over that success as well as some elite coaching from his staff.
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