NFL Power Rankings, Week 6: The Minnesota Vikings Just Keep Winning
The story has been the same for three straight weeks now.
Facing an inferior opponent, the Vikings had moments where they looked like a potential contender, but defensive lapses and offensive lulls made the game closer than it needed to be. In the end, Kevin O'Connell's team found a way to win a one-score game for the third consecutive Sunday, holding off the Bears 29-22 to move to 4-1.
The Vikings still have plenty of work to do and questions to answer moving forward, but winning close games while not playing well for four quarters isn't a bad place to be. This team is learning a lot about itself and its new schemes on both sides of the ball, which should help it continue to grow as the season progresses.
Next up is a Week 6 matchup with the banged-up Dolphins in Miami. The Vikings will be looking to win their fourth straight game and take a 5-1 record into the bye week.
Time for our weekly look at the national power rankings to see where the Vikings rank and what various analysts think about their interesting start to the season.
Conor Orr, SI.com: No. 12 (Down 2 spots)
The Vikings have the third-best play success rate in the NFL behind the Bills and the Chiefs. Is that good? We should stop making fun of every team who hires Sean McVay’s friends. It seems to be working.
Bo Wulf, The Athletic: No. 10 (Up 4 spots)
Dan Hanzus, NFL.com: No. 7 (Up 2 spots)
You can flip the calendar and reboot the coaching staff, but some things will never change with a Kirk Cousins-led offense. Take Sunday, for instance: Cousins completed his first 17 passes against the Bears, leading the Vikings to touchdowns on their first three possessions while building a 21-3 lead. The blowout was on! Until it wasn't. The offense went cold, and Minnesota allowed Chicago to crawl back in the game and even take the lead in the fourth quarter. Then Cousins and Co. regrouped to score the go-ahead touchdown in an eventual 29-22 win, but the hot-and-cold nature of the Vikings' attack remains mystifying. "I'm not where I was at the end of last season in that old system," Cousins said, "but we're developing it and we're getting there and I'm excited about that continued growth."
ESPN Staff: No. 4 (Up 3 spots)
Chance to make the playoffs:
76.9%
Chance to win their division:
34.9%
The Vikings already have an excellent chance to make the playoffs thanks to their hot start. But they've needed to overcome a late fourth-quarter deficit in each of their past three games, and that pattern probably isn't sustainable over time. Although it's an excellent sign that the Vikings had the confidence and leadership to surge back into the lead in each instance, they'll need to produce some steadier performances in the second half to ensure they are playing with a lead and not leaving it up to the other team to take advantage. —
Kevin Seifert
Austin Gayle, The Ringer: No. 8 (Up 4 spots)
The new favorite on FanDuel to win the NFC North (-130), Minnesota is thriving on offense under first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings lead the league in first-down conversion percentage at 29 percent, and the offense is 10th in EPA per drive (0.25). Avoiding third downs is critical to the Vikings’ offensive success, as it keeps quarterback Kirk Cousins out of obvious passing situations where defenses often eat him alive. Cousins ranks 24th in EPA per dropback on third downs (-0.24) through Week 5.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: No. 9 (Up 2 spots)
It would be nice to see the Vikings play four full quarters. They got by the Lions and Bears at home with a couple of nice late escapes, but that's not the sign of a dominant team. The Vikings are 4-1 but there's some work to do. The good news is those wins, and their lead over the Packers in the division, aren't going anywhere. They just need to play better to hang onto that lead.
Bleacher Report Staff: No. 8 (Down 1 spot)
The Minnesota Vikings look like the best team in the NFC North. No, really. They made things harder than they needed to be at home against the Bears. After racing out to a 21-3 lead, Minnesota allowed Chicago to peel off 19 unanswered points and briefly take the lead. But thanks to an efficient outing from quarterback Kirk Cousins and big games from running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the Vikes were able to outlast the Bears and claim sole possession of first place in the division.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: No. 5 (Up 2 spots)
They are 4-1, but they sure made it interesting against the Bears. The defense has to be better as they head to Miami.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: No. 8 (No change)
The Vikings don't get a lot of style points as they tend to win some games ugly, either offensively or defensively. Their early resume, however, of having only lost to the undefeated Eagles, is still impressive with Kevin O'Connell's processes leading to strong first-place results.
Mike Florio, PFT: No. 11 (Up 3 spots)
This feels like a house of cards that could be knocked down with the gust from one solid SKOL clap.
Nate Davis, USA Today: No. 7 (Down 1 spot)
If WR Justin Jefferson has one more 150-yard receiving day this year, he'll have the most of any player (7) in his first three seasons. Ever. It's been mostly feast but some famine for Jefferson this year, who's on pace for a league-best 1,860 yards.
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