Vikings Absolutely Soar in Power Rankings
About one month ago, did you expect the Minnesota Vikings to be classified as the fifth-best team in all of football by Week 3?
Vikings Absolutely Soar in Power Rankings
That’s the word from CBS Sports this week, an outfit that released NFL power rankings on Tuesday morning after Kirk Cousins and Co. stunned the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.
Sandwiched between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 4) and New Orleans Saints (No. 6), the Vikings have somehow blitzed the court of public opinion, so much that Pete Prisco claims they’re a Top 5 unit.
“Sam Darnold is making plays, Brian Flores is doing a great job with the defense and Justin Jefferson is a game-wrecker. Combine that with Kevin O’Connell as head coach, and that’s why they are 2-0,” Prisco explained.
The Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Texans led the way, respectively. Minnesota conveniently hosts those very Texans on Sunday afternoon and is expected to lose by a point or two. Stay tuned.
How did the Vikings get here? Simple — prestigious operations on all sides of the football. The offense, alas, has established a rushing attack that was absent in 2022 and 2023. Running backs Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler currently average 5.9 yards per touch apiece — they have the same average, yes — while Justin Jefferson is doing Justin Jefferson things, and Sam Darnold is making good on a reclamation promise.
It’s worth noting that Minnesota has done much of its offensive damage in wins over the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers without wide receiver Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. Addison should return this weekend or next, and Hockenson is tentatively on tap for a Week 5 return at London.
But it’s not just the offense. The defense is actually playing more efficiently than the offense, ranking fourth leaguewide per EPA/Play heading into Week 3, a metric adjudicating expected wins added per defense. Brian Flores’ group tackles without hesitation, flies all over the place, effectuates quarterback pressure, and plays decent coverage on the back end.
Special teams, too, are making an impact. Fullback C.J. Ham, for example, blocked a punt last weekend, turning the game’s early tide, and new kicker Will Reichard is flawless so far.
Before Week 1, Prisco ranked the Vikings the NFL’s eighth-worst team and noted, “Can they resurrect Sam Darnold’s career? Even if they do, they are still the fourth team in the division.”
Not anymore, though. For at least one more week, Minnesota is evidently a Top 5 squad.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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