NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Vikings Crash Back Down After Ugly Cowboys Loss

The Vikings validated some of the concerns people had about their legitimacy on Sunday.

Things change quickly in the NFL.

Last week was about the Vikings proving themselves as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. To come back the way they did, on the road, against an elite Bills team, was incredibly impressive. Even with their seven straight wins all coming by one score, it was much harder for people to question if the 8-1 Vikings were "for real" after that win in Orchard Park.

Those questions are back and louder than ever this week. The Vikings returned to Minnesota and saw their winning streak ripped to shreds in a 40-3 loss to the Cowboys — the franchise's largest margin of defeat at home in 59 years. In what essentially amounted to a national TV game, they were dominated in every phase by another of the NFC's top contenders. That validated things for a lot of the people who were skeptical about the Vikings' status as a true contender this year.

"We're an 8-2 football team," Kevin O'Connell said after the game. "There's going to be a lot of narratives about our team that we really can't control, we know that. We've just got to look inward to our locker room. I felt all along we've got the right kind of guys, we've got the right coaching staff. I do believe that we will respond to this the right way, but at this point in the season, November comes, and sometimes you can get hit in the mouth.

"This league has a way of humbling any football team at any point in time if you don't play good football. We did not tonight, and we've got to learn from this and make sure we move forward in the right direction and really trust that we're going to handle this response the right way. "

After rising as high as No. 1 in some power rankings last week, the Vikings are obviously going to take a pretty major tumble this time. Let's see how far they fall — and what various national analysts have to say about their disastrous performance.

Conor Orr, SI.com: No. 10 (Down 9 spots)

While this may seem like a punishment for the Vikings, whom I had in the No. 1 spot a week ago, I think there was always going to be some regression here. I understand the frustration from fans who felt that perhaps they didn’t get their earned respect until late in the season—and that it’s already getting taken away—but the loss to the Cowboys exposed some of Minnesota’s more fatal flaws. This team isn’t tackling well, didn’t run the ball especially well and, in situations where Justin Jefferson can’t get a steady diet of targets, its system can be hampered.

Bo Wulf, The Athletic: No. 32 (Down 28 spots)

Thankful for:

This bulletin board material from a know-nothing nitwit

Sorry, but rules are rules. When you suffer the most lopsided loss of the NFL season to date, you have to spend a week in the ceremonial back of the line.

Dan Hanzus, NFL.com: No. 9 (Down 6 spots)

An afternoon that began with deafening “Skol!” chants and sky-high confidence ended with a half-empty stadium and a 40-3 defeat that makes you wonder how good these Vikings really are despite their stellar win-loss record. There was no one culprit in the stunning blowout to the Cowboys: Kirk Cousins was under constant duress, Justin Jefferson was largely neutralized, and the defense had no answers for Dallas’ passing or run game. "This league has a way of humbling any football team at any point in time if you don't play good football," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said after the carnage. Yep, a Bury The Ball game if ever there was one.

ESPN Staff: No. 6 (Down 3 spots)

What/who is underachieving?

Pass defense

Some well-timed interceptions and sacks have minimized the damage of what has been one of the NFL's most porous pass defenses. Opponents are completing 69% of their passes, the second-worst defensive mark in the league. It's not as if those throws are particularly short. At an average of 7.8 air yards, they are higher than the league average. The Vikings' soft coverage leaves them vulnerable, unless one of their playmakers can compensate. — 

Kevin Seifert

Austin Gayle, The Ringer: No. 8 (Down 4 spots)

Tier 3: Flawed Postseason Contenders

Losing to the Cowboys by 37 points at home was a shock even for the loudest Vikings doubters. The offensive line couldn’t pass protect, the early-down offense was abysmal, and the defense had no answers for Pollard and Prescott. Minnesota is now tied with the Chiefs for the second-best record in the NFL, but sport a negative-two point differential; 15 other teams have a better mark. They’re now 19th in offensive EPA per drive and 30th in yards per play allowed. Both sides of the ball have to improve significantly if the Vikings are going to win in the postseason.

Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: No. 8 (Down 5 spots)

I don't want to penalize the Vikings too much for one loss, but 40-3 was bad. The Vikings were never as good as their 8-1 record last week — they were too high in these power rankings last week, mostly because of a good win at Buffalo and the lack of quality contenders this season — but they're also not bad. That 37-point loss just means that anyone who thought the Vikings might be Super Bowl contenders needs to re-evaluate.

Bleacher Report Staff: No. 5 (Down 2 spots)

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: No. 7 (Down 4 spots)

The bubble burst in a big way against the Cowboys. They better hope that's an aberration, rather than closer to the norm.

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: No. 6 (Down 3 spots)

What was that? The Vikings' defensive issues finally caught up to them against a well-oiled Dallas attack and they couldn't run or pass their way out of it with another improbable comeback. Their march toward an easy NFC North title will need to be put on hold a little ahead of facing the Patriots at home.

Mike Florio, PFT: No. 8 (Down 7 spots)

When the bubble bursts, it takes out an entire city block.

Nate Davis, USA Today: No. 8 (Down 6 spots)

Are they the worst 8-2 team in history? Maybe that's going too far, but Minnesota is the first to start that well while being outscored overall. The Vikes' league-high streak of 92 games with a TD also ended while they were being pillaged 40-3 by Dallas. And QB Kirk Cousins came up small in another big game.

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