The Vikings thrashed the Bears on Monday night — did they move up in the rankings?
It was far more ugly than pretty, but the Minnesota Vikings handled the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.
It was the beginning of a season-ending pass through the division, and it was a good start. Where does that leave the Vikings in the power rankings? The Packers won and the Lions lost — and….?
I’m glad you asked — here is the consensus look at this week’s power rankings.
If you have any other rankings you think should be included, feel free to DM me @Brandon_Warne on the tweets.
Let’s talk to it (rankings are hyperlinked for maximum clickage):
The Rankings
NFL.com — 5th (previously 5th)
Key excerpt: “With Detroit ailing and the top seed still within reach, Minnesota’s confidence has to be soaring.”
The Athletic/New York Times — 5th (previously 3rd)
Key excerpt: “This is why the Vikings gave (Justin Jefferson) $110 million in guaranteed money in a four-year extension this summer.”
ESPN.com — 5th (previously 5th)
Key excerpt: “Injuries, off-field issues and a lack of familiarity with quarterback Sam Darnold generated plenty of questions about Addison, the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2023…But Addison has turned it around in the second half of the season.”
Pro Football Talk — 4th (previously 4th)
Key excerpt: “They have a shot at their first 15-win season since Randy Moss’s rookie year.”
CBS Sports (Pete Prisco) — 5th (previously 4th)
Key excerpt: “It was a little disjointed against the Bears, but they just keep on winning. They face a tough road game at Seattle this week as they eye the potential division title.”
Palm Beach Post (Joe Schad) — 5th (previously 5th)
Key excerpt: Joe Schad says the same thing every week. I’m not going to post it.
The Score — 5th (previously 5th)
Key excerpt: “Minnesota took care of business against Chicago, securing its seventh straight win. With Detroit losing to Buffalo, the Vikings can secure the NFC North and the No. 1 seed by winning their final three games.”
NFL Trade Rumors — 5th (previously 7th)
Key excerpt: “Sam Darnold has been a top-10 quarterback this season and Minnesota can do some real damage in the playoffs.”
Sports Illustrated — 5th (previously 4th)
Key excerpt: “A fitting tribute from Justin Jefferson, Cris Carter, Jake Reed and all manner of Vikings to the legend Randy Moss on Monday Night Football. Get well soon.”
USA Today — 5th (previously 5th)
Key excerpt: “Like the Lions, they also control their path to the NFC North crown – one that could end with a winner-take-all game at Ford Field in Week 18 … and the way things are trending, the Vikes, who have won seven their last seven games, look increasingly poised to pillage.”
Yahoo! Sports — 5th (previously 5th)
Key excerpt: “(Monday) wasn’t the prettiest game but a 12-2 record is impressive.”
The 33rd Team — TBD (previously 4th)
Key excerpt: It does not appear that these are updated as of this writing.
Marquee Sports Network — TBD (previously 5th)
Key excerpt: “It does not appear that these are updated as of this writing.”
New York Post — 5th (previously 5th)
Key excerpt: “The defense pitched a first-half shutout and didn’t allow a touchdown until the final six minutes.”
Average ranking: 4.92 (59 ranking points/12 rankings (two pending))
Spare thoughts: Only the Vikings can win an ugly game — still a blowout — and move down the rankings. You can really only laugh at this point.
What do you think? Join the conversation below (and recommend other power rankings to add if you wish)!
