NFL Power Rankings, Week 13: Vikings Bounce Back After Beating Patriots
The Vikings needed that one for all kinds of reasons.
Bouncing back from an embarrassing home loss against the Cowboys with a big Thanksgiving win over the Patriots was important for seeding purposes, as it keeps them in striking distance of the top seed and two games clear of the 49ers in the NFC's second spot.
It was big for the Vikings' internal confidence, validating Kevin O'Connell's message that the Dallas game was just a one-time poor performance that didn't represent who they are as a team.
It was also big — and this one is far, far less important — for the external perception of the Vikings. People who thought Minnesota was exposed as fraudulent against the Cowboys, despite it being just their second loss, had to think twice after watching O'Connell's team beat a quality Patriots squad led by an elite defense.
Naturally, the Vikings jumped back up a little bit in this week's national power rankings. Let's see where they're placed this week and what various analysts thought of their resilient Thanksgiving victory.
Conor Orr, SI.com: No. 6 (Up 4 spots)
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.
Bo Wulf, The Athletic: No. 8 (Up 24 spots)
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.
Dan Hanzus, NFL.com: No. 7 (Up 2 spots)
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.
ESPN Staff: No. 6 (Down 3 spots)
Realistic expectation: Split their final six games, win the NFC North and host two playoff games.
It is realistic to think the Vikings will have a record of at least 12-5 (or better). It's true the Vikings have the seventh-easiest remaining schedule, and that there are only two teams on it with winning records (Jets and Giants). But they still have to play all three NFC North rivals on the road, and it's tough to project a sweep there even in a down year for the division. — Kevin Seifert
Austin Gayle, The Ringer: No. 7 (Up 1 spot)
Tier 3: Flawed Postseason Contenders
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.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: No. 7 (Up 1 spot)
The Vikings' defense probably isn't good enough to win a Super Bowl. They have given up the second-most yards in the NFL this season. Mac Jones looked like a Pro Bowler against them. It has been a great season for the Vikings, but to make a playoff run they'll need to create a lot of turnovers on defense. They can't count on getting stops.
Bleacher Report Staff: No. 6 (Down 1 spot)
After what was undoubtedly Minnesota's worst loss of the season, the Vikings responded with a big win on a short week against a quality opponent. It didn't eliminate the doubts about the team's viability as a Super Bowl contender. But it was a step in the right direction, and now the Vikes have had extra time to prepare for another challenging matchup against the Jets.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: No. 6 (Up 1 spot)
Kirk Cousins played well in the prime-time victory over the Patriots. That was a heck of a bounce-back for this team.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: No. 6 (No change)
The Vikings got their offense going again with Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson leading the way against the Patriots. They made a key statement in prime time to quickly rebound from the Cowboys' debacle and on the cusp of locking up the NFC North title.
Mike Florio, PFT: No. 7 (Up 1 spot)
They’re not giving up yet on the possibility of being the No. 1 seed.
Nate Davis, USA Today: No. 7 (Up 1 spot)
With a win over the Jets on Sunday, coupled with a Detroit loss, Minnesota will become the first team to win a division title in 2022.
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