NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Are the Vikings a Playoff Team?
In the span of about ten minutes of real time, the 2020 Vikings went from being dead and buried to one game out of a playoff spot. When Chad Beebe muffed a punt just before the two-minute warning, the Vikings appeared to be on their way to losing yet another crazy game due to self-inflicted wounds.
Then came a sequence that may have saved the season. The Vikings' defense held up in a tough spot, benefiting from a bad miss by Teddy Bridgewater and some poor Panthers clock management. Kirk Cousins got the ball back, drove down the field, and found Beebe for the game-winner. Joey Slye missed a field goal as time expired, the Cardinals lost a close one to the Patriots, and Minnesota is suddenly right in the mix for a postseason berth.
Now the question is this: was that the start of something bigger or merely a fluke that will lead to another Cowboys-like disappointment? We'll find out starting this week against the Jaguars.
Like we do every week, let's check in on the national power rankings and see where the Vikings fall. They ranked between 16th and 21st last week.
Mitch Goldich, SI.com: No. 15 (Up 1 Spot)
It might be too little too late, but the Vikings deserve a lot of credit for their turnaround. They’ve looked a lot more like the team we saw win a playoff game in New Orleans last year, and that team sneaks into the top half of my rankings with a 5–6 mark.
ESPN.com: No. 18 (Up 1 spot)
Most important game remaining: Week 14 at Tampa Bay
The easy answer would be "all of them" given the Vikings are the No. 8 team in the NFC and one game out of the final wild-card berth. Minnesota got this far after a 1-5 start by beating up on bad teams, with only one of the Vikings' five victories coming against a team with a winning record (Week 8 at the Packers). A win on the road against 7-5 Tampa Bay is critical. In order to be taken seriously as a postseason contender, Minnesota needs to show it can defeat better competition. A win against the Bucs would up the Vikings' playoff odds significantly. -- Courtney Cronin
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: No. 16 (No change)
Losing to the Cowboys at home is a damning blow to their playoff chances. The defense let them down in a big way.
Bleacher Report: No. 16 (Up 3 spots)
The Minnesota Vikings are clinging to faint playoff hopes in the NFC. However, a flawed performance against the Carolina Panthers at home after losing to a bad Dallas Cowboys team in Week 11 doesn't inspire a ton of confidence that their mad scramble to sneak into the bottom of the NFC bracket will pay off.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: No. 16 (Up 2 spots)
Justin Jefferson posted a 7-70-2 line and is up to 52-918-6 on the season despite the Vikings inexplicably barely playing him the first two weeks. If we redrafted the 2020 rookie class, where would Jefferson go? Top 10? Top 5?
Nate Davis, USA Today: No. 19 (Up 2 spots)
WR Justin Jefferson's remarkable season continues, the rookie now leading the league with 17 catches of at least 20 yards.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: No. 17 (Up 4 spots)
The Vikings got sloppy with the football twice and it nearly cost them against the Panthers. But their defense is starting to play better at the right time to keep them in contention, while their offense keeps showing good balance and explosiveness when not making mistakes.
Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk: No. 15 (Up 3 spots)
It’s better to be lucky than good. It’s ideal to be both.
Dan Hanzus, NFL.com: N/A
NFL.com's power rankings are likely being held until after the Steelers-Ravens game Wednesday afternoon.
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