Vikings retain top-3 spot in latest consensus power rankings

Minnesota remains undefeated heading into the bye after a narrow 23-17 win over the Jets on Sunday.

Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; A Minnesota Vikings fan poses with mascot Viktor before the NFL London Game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

They nearly blew a double-digit lead for the second straight week, but that hasn't deterred national media from continuing to hype up the 5-0 Vikings.

Minnesota largely stayed stagnant in this week's power rankings. Of the eight we collected this week, the Vikings moved positioning in just one while holding the ranking it had last week in the other seven.

NFL.com - No. 1 (Last week: No. 1)

Eric Edholm noted that Vikings QB Sam Darnold "struggled worse than he had all season" but that in key moments late in the game he "made enough big throws" to secure the victory. Edholm said that even though it wasn't a pretty win, "It's OK to win ugly sometimes."

The Athletic - No. 1 (Last week: No. 1)

Minnesota retained the top spot in Josh Kendall's power rankings over at The Athletic. Kendall noted the fantasy significance of the 5-0 start this season, including Sam Darnold being a top-15 fantasy QB this season. Meanwhile, Justin Jefferson is underperforming his lofty fantasy draft status, while Aaron Jones has been a "good pick."

CBS Sports - No. 2 (Last week: No. 2)

The Vikings offense "showed some flaws" this week, according to Pete Prisco, who keeps the Vikings behind only the Chiefs. Prisco commended Brian Flores for doing a "heck of a job" with a defense that "came up big again."

ESPN - No. 2 (Last week: No. 2)

Kevin Seifert commented that Darnold and Jones have "performed well" this season. The Vikings stick at No. 2 in ESPN's ranking, once again coming in behind only Kansas City.

Yahoo! - No. 2 (Last week: No. 2)

Minnesota's 23-17 win over the Jets can be put in the "quality win bucket for now," says Yahoo's Frank Schwab. The Vikings hold onto their No. 2 ranking, with Schwab noting that "no team has looked more complete this season."

FOX Sports - No. 2 (Last week: No. 4)

The Vikings are officially a top-3 team in all of the power rankings we collect after FOX Sports bumped Minnesota up to No. 2 this week. FOX noted it was Minnesota's "sloppiest" win yet.

SI.com - No. 3 (Last week: No. 3)

SI's Connor Orr says the "paint job seems to be thinning a bit on the Vikings' supernova," but that a 5-0 start has afforded them an "incredible runway."

PFT - No. 3 (Last week: No. 3)

Mike Florio keeps it short this week, saying that the special teams "need work" with a notable exception for the kicker, Will Reichard, who has converted on every kick this season: 9/9 on field goals and16/16 on extra points.

Division Watch

Below shows where NFC North teams rank in the compilation of power rankings. We've averaged out the rankings into one number for clarity.

Detroit Lions

Average ranking: 3.5 (Down from No. 3.375)
Highest ranking: SI/PFT - No. 2
Lowest ranking: The Athletic - No. 6

Green Bay Packers

Average ranking: 7.875 (Up from No. 9.88)
Highest ranking: SI - No. 5
Lowest ranking: Yahoo!: No. 10

Chicago Bears

Average ranking: 15.875 (Up from No. 19.25)
Highest ranking: CBS - No. 11
Lowest ranking: PFT - No. 18