The Minnesota Vikings continue to find ways to win and did so against the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving night. You would think that this turn some analysts around on the Vikings.
Unfortunately, it did the opposite for quite a few analysts, as they went down in a few power rankings.
The Vikings are an inherently flawed team but they are 8-0 in one-score games and continue to find new and different ways to win, but the catalyst has been Kirk Cousins. His play has not only improved but also different in a good way.
The Power rankings this week are varied and interesting.
Nate Davis-USA Today
Last week: 7
This Week: 2
Davis regained faith in the Vikings after their win over the Patriots.
“The average margin of victory during their seven-game win streak is 5.1 points, all of those triumphs coming by one score. But when you’ve got a clean-up hitter like WR Justin Jefferson and a closer like CB Patrick Peterson, who cares about style points?”
Mike Florio-Pro Football Talk
Last week: 8
This week: 7
After dropping them significantly after the loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Florio gave them some credit after the win over the Patriots.
“They’re not giving up yet on the possibility of being the No. 1 seed.”
Pete Prisco-CBS Sports
Last week: 7
This week: 6
Prisco has believed in this team more than most and that belief has continued.
“Kirk Cousins played well in the prime-time victory over the Patriots. That was a heck of a bounce-back for this team.”
Conor Orr-Sports Illustrated
Last week: 10
This week: 6
Orr has been a disbeliever in the Vikings, but the last game seems to have drawn him back in.
“To make the Patriots’ defense look as silly as the Vikings did at times on Thanksgiving was significant. Bill Belichick has been calling some of the best defense in the NFL this year and saw his veterans get trapped in an accidental triple team.”
NFL Nation-ESPN
Last week: 3
This week: 6
The Vikings win in primetime and drop three spots? That doesn’t make sense.
“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”
NFL Staff-Bleacher Report
Last week: 3
This week: 5
Another power rankings having the Vikings drop doesn’t make sense.
“There wasn’t a team in the league in bigger need of a bounce-back performance in Week 12 than the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 11, the Vikings were embarrassed at home by the Cowboys in the franchise’s second-worst home loss in six decades. On Thanksgiving night, Minnesota faced another playoff contender in the Patriots.
The Vikings got that rebound victory—and Kirk Cousins exorcised a few primetime demons in the process.
Long excoriated for his performances on big stages, Cousins was sharp against an excellent defense, throwing for 299 yards and three touchdowns with one interception.”
Dan Hanzus-NFL.com
Last week: 9
This week: 7
Hanzus has some renewed faith in the Vikings after Thanksgiving night.
“The Thanksgiving night win over the Patriots was a crucial one for the Vikings, who were in dire need of a change to the conversation after the embarrassing blowout loss to the Cowboys four days earlier. Justin Jefferson was once again the driver of almost everything good in the Minnesota offense: The Pro Bowl wideout finished the game with nine catches for 139 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets. Jefferson’s greatness makes life so much easier for Kirk Cousins, who quieted chatter about his failures in prime-time games until, well, the next time the Vikings play in prime time. Minnesota can clinch the NFC North with a win over the upstart Jets (and a Lions loss to the Jaguars) on Sunday.”
Bo Wulf-The Athletic
Last week: 32
This week: 8
Wulf dropped them down to 32 after the abysmal performance against the Cowboys but came back to planet earth this week.
“The Vikings’ 27th-ranked pass defense by DVOA made Patriots quarterback Mac Jones look better than he has all season during the Thanksgiving prime-time game. No matter, because Minnesota has Justin Jefferson, who somehow passed Randy Moss for the most receiving yards in any player’s first three seasons in the league. Kirk Cousins rebounded from his first-half interception to fire the ball into tight windows against a good Patriots defense.
Even at 9-2, though, the objective measures still doubt the Vikings. They open as just three-point favorites at home for this week’s game against Mike White and the Jets.”
Austin Gayle-The RInger
Last week: 8
This week: 7
Gayle has the Vikings as flawed postseason contenders and it’s hard to argue with him.
“Minnesota beat the Patriots on Thanksgiving night, but a national audience got to see what is potentially a fatal flaw—a porous pass defense that allowed Pats QB Mac Jones, who entered Week 12 ranked 33rd in EPA per dropback, to throw for a career-high 382 passing yards, along with two touchdowns. Minnesota currently ranks last in passing yards allowed per attempt and 31st in completion percentage allowed—and that puts Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense in a very difficult spot week after week.”
