The Minnesota Vikings found themselves in the winners circle on Monday night with a 22-17 upset win over the San Francisco 49ers.
One of the talking points surrounding the Vikings was that they hadn’t played up to their potential this season. In their four losses, they hung with the really good teams in the league but couldn’t seal the deal, mainly due to turnovers.
Despite turning it over on the third play of the game, the Vikings won the turnover battle with a +2 margin and dominated the game in the trenches.
The latest batch of NFL power rankings show that the Vikings took a massive leap after week seven.
Vikings Wire's Tyler Forness
Last week: 20
This week: 13
NFL.com's Eric Edholm
Last week: 25
This week: 20
The wild goal-line sequence in the third quarter that ended in a Minnesota field goal made me think the Vikings were going to blow the game. That decision felt flawed at the time, and the 49ers came right back and scored. But I give Kevin O’Connell credit for his game plan on the whole (which limited possessions) and his trust in the defense (which made big stops in crunch time). KOC also called a terrific game for Kirk Cousins. To his own credit, Cousins made a ton of terrific throws under fire, enjoying one of his best outings in recent memory. Jordan Addison missed a chunk of the game to injury, but the rookie wideout was absolutely tremendous, especially after losing that early pass on the interception. We’re not quite back in 2022 mode, but this team is suddenly dangerous again.
ESPN's NFL Nation
Last week: 25
This week: 21
Addison, 21, leads all NFL rookies with six touchdown receptions. The 23rd pick of the 2023 draft started the season as the Vikings’ No. 3 receiver but quickly earned quarterback Kirk Cousins’ trust and has often been Cousins’ first read following the hamstring injury to star receiver Justin Jefferson. Addison has a smooth release from the line of scrimmage and naturally moves toward open areas of the field. “Jordan is the real deal,” Cousins said. “We hit on that draft pick. He’s a great player.” — Kevin Seifert
The Athletic's Josh Kendall
Last week: 26
This week: 16
Who designs the Vikings’ turnover celebrations?
Whoever it is should get a raise. Minnesota forced three turnovers Monday night against the 49ers but got to do four celebrations because one was called back when Brock Purdy was ruled down by contact. On the first, the Vikings defenders did a limbo line using 198-pound cornerback Akayleb Evans as the limbo pole. On the second, the defenders all sat in a circle in the end zone and played duck, duck, goose. On the third one, Camryn Bynum and teammates did the worm in the end zone. On the fourth, Bynum and friends celebrated finishing off the upset.
CBS Sports' Pete Prisco
Last week: 26
This week: 19
They’ve won two straight games to right things and maybe hold off any potential fire sale. Kirk Cousins was outstanding against the 49ers.
Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr
Last week: 27
This week: 22
Brian Flores and Kirk Cousins, two maligned Vikings, had incredible nights. Flores, especially, mixed coverages so well and was one of the first coordinators to have Brock Purdy looking constantly uncomfortable. Cousins avoided pressure well and, according to ESPN, became the second quarterback over the last two seasons to have 300-plus passing yards and two or more passing touchdowns against this defense. Cousins was also tied for the most passing attempts (45) in a game this year without a sack.
Fox Sports' David Helman
Last week: 23
This week: 19
Don’t look now, but the Vikings are officially in the mix for a wild-card spot. And they got there by beating a member of the league’s elite. Not a bad place to be when all the talk about this team has centered around trading off assets before the deadline.
Bleacher Reports' NFL staff
Last week: 25
This week: 21
There was more talk about which veterans (including quarterback Kirk Cousins) could be traded than any notion of the Vikes getting back into the race in the NFC North.
That has all shifted now. After downing the favored 49ers, the Vikings are suddenly a team that has won three of four after an 0-3 start. A team that didn’t allow a single sack on 45 Cousins dropbacks against one of the league’s best defenses. A team that lit up said defense for 452 yards.
Without superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson, too.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio
Last week: 25
This week: 17
Was last night a fluke, or the first flicker of a flame?
Yahoo! Sports' Frank Schwab
Last week: 22
This week: 15
That was Kirk Cousins’ masterpiece. It will be forgotten the first time Cousins has a bad game because everyone likes dunking on Cousins, bringing up his poor prime-time record and acting like he has never had a good game in the NFL. But he threw for 378 yards to save the Vikings’ season against a 49ers defense that might be the NFL’s toughest, and did it all without Justin Jefferson.
USA Today's Nate Davis
Last week: 22
This week: 19
QB Kirk Cousins’ third career Monday night win (in 13 attempts) – plus S Camryn Bynum’s heroics (2 INTs) and an airtight offensive line – bring an unexpected victory that suddenly has Minnesota a half-game out of a wild-card spot after a 1-4 start.
The Ringer's NFL staff
Last week: 21
This week: 17
Prime-time Kirk Cousins? Without Justin Jefferson?? Against the best team in the NFL??? Minnesota’s Monday Night Football matchup with the 49ers had all the makings of a classic Vikings meltdown—instead, we got one of the best performances of Cousins’s career, and the easily the best win of the season for Minnesota.
It’s hard to overstate how impressive the Vikings offense looked against a ferocious San Francisco defense. After yet another turnover on their first drive—their fourth opening-drive giveaway in seven games—Minnesota’s luck finally turned and the offense balled out, scoring on five of their next seven possessions. The team still doesn’t have a rushing touchdown this season, but they don’t need one when rookie receiver Jordan Addison looks like a star, T.J. Hockenson plays like the second-best tight end in football, K.J. Osborn and Brandon Powell provide more than serviceable pass-catching support, and the defense has just enough teeth to get big stops down the stretch.
Maybe this will be a flash in the pan. But after a stunning Lions loss on Sunday, the race for the NFC North doesn’t appear to be totally over, and the Vikings have some real ingredients to work with. —Riley McAtee
Pro Football Network's Dalton Miller
Last week: 26
This week: 20
The Vikings were already underwhelming in 2023, and losing their best player — arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL — makes the Vikings’ strength, the passing attack, a massive question mark.
But don’t tell Kirk Cousins that. The veteran quarterback was sensational against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. He finished just 22 yards shy of 400 without Justin Jefferson. Jordan Addison had a big two-touchdown game, and T.J. Hockenson stepped up with 11 receptions.
But the Vikings’ defense is much stronger than originally anticipated in 2023. And on Monday, it was Camryn who shut the door on the 49ers.
