NFL Power Rankings, Week 10: Vikings Slide Back After Loss
The Vikings spent the entire month of October slowly climbing up the power rankings, beginning the month towards the middle of the pack (or worse) and ending it in or near the top five teams in the NFL.
But October's over, and the Vikings are 0-1 in November after losing a heartbreaker to the Chiefs in Kansas City. Let's see how far they fell in the rankings.
SI.com: No. 6 (Down 1 spot)
The voters for our mothership site have the Vikings anywhere from fifth to tenth, not punishing them too much for the tight road loss to the Chiefs.
"The Vikings had the ball with the game tied late before an inexplicably awful final two-and-a-half minutes sealed their fate. Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen reverted back to their ineffective early-season selves (though Thielen reaggravated his hammy early), but Minnesota didn’t lose any ground on the Packers in the divisional race — though Green Bay did slide in this week’s rankings."
ESPN.com: No. 9 (Down 1 spot)
ESPN had each of their team reporters list a scary trend for the team they cover heading into Week 10. Courtney Cronin went with the pressure being allowed by the interior of the Vikings' offensive line.
"Kirk Cousins was 0-for-9 passing under duress against the Chiefs on Sunday, the worst mark of his career. The Vikings' offensive line has played well at points this season, but interior line play is still an issue. Both Pat Elflein and Garrett Bradbury have each allowed 20 pressures this season, which accounts for a handful of Minnesota's issues in pass protection. The O-line was among the biggest storylines for the Vikings entering 2019, and the team did quite a bit to try to improve this unit. If the guard and center play doesn't improve, the entire offense is affected – both in the running and passing games."
NFL.com: No. 10 (Down 5 spots)
"The Vikings' offense had its chance to make ... A Statement. Kirk Cousins and friends took the field with 2:30 to play in the fourth quarter, game tied at 23. For Cousins, it was a chance to exorcise a few demons acquired by failures in similar high-leverage scenarios in the past. For the Vikings as a whole, it was an opportunity to knock off the Chiefs in Arrowhead and move into a first-place tie with the Packers in the NFC North. What came next: Incomplete pass. Screen for negative-7 yards. Incomplete pass. Punter Britton Colquitt jogged out, shanked a punt, and soon, Kansas City players were swarming the Chiefs' kicker at midfield. It's not embarrassing to lose to the Chiefs on the road – even without Patrick Mahomes on the field. But doubt remains as to whether a Cousins-led team can rise to the occasion when called upon."
Sporting News: No. 8 (Down 3 spots)
"The Vikings will need to keep answering questions about their big-game struggles on the road, but don't blame Kirk Cousins. It's more about the overrated defense being gashed at the wrong times against the run and also giving up backbreaking plays in the passing game."
CBS Sports: No. 11 (Down 5 spots)
"At some point, they have to win games like they lost in Kansas City. You can't lose to the Chiefs with a backup passer and now comes a tough one at Dallas."
Bleacher Report: No. 9 (Down 4 spots)
"The Vikings like to occasionally remind us not to overrate them. Reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Month Kirk Cousins was terrible in a game Minnesota had no business losing, and games like those remind me that I shouldn't trust Minnesota in December and January."
Chicago Tribune: No. 12 (Down 4 spots)
"The Vikings looked like they were in a good spot heading to Kansas City to face the Chiefs, who were missing quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but the Vikings offense lacked balance. Running back Dalvin Cook struggled to get going and wide receiver Stefon Diggs’ impressive streak of three straight games over 125 yards ended with a thud as he caught only one pass for 4 yards. Perhaps it’s just that the Vikings struggle on the road, especially on natural grass. Or maybe it was a step up in class having to face the Chiefs, who won 26-23 on a last-second field goal."
Washington Post: No. 14 (Down 7 spots)
"It’s too easy to jump on Kirk Cousins. All of his good play in recent weeks shouldn’t be discarded with Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs. But, again, a winnable game against a good team slipped away and the Cousins-led Vikings can’t seem to live with prosperity."
