NFL Power Rankings, Week 11: Vikings Earn Respect With Win Over Bills

"What we earned here today is the final stamp on understanding that we are one of the best teams in this league."

That was Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell's postgame message to his team after their miraculous comeback win over the Bills on Sunday.

"Now, we get to go prove it each and every week we get an (opportunity)," he said. "But I love this team and I love getting to see you guys do your thing."

Up until Sunday, it was fair to be skeptical about the Vikings despite their 7-1 record. They had won six straight one-score games against mostly mediocre competition, trailing in the fourth quarter in four of those games. For all of the talent on their roster, the Vikings had gone through lulls every week that didn't inspire much confidence. Recent wins over the Cardinals and Commanders were a bit more impressive, but O'Connell's team was still searching for a signature victory.

They got it on Sunday. Trailing 27-10 late in the third quarter against one of the NFL's elite teams, the Vikings rallied for an incredible overtime victory in the game of the year.

After that comeback win, it's no longer reasonable to doubt the Vikings as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. They earned that respect. They still have plenty of things to improve, but the Kirk Cousins to Justin Jefferson connection is firing on all cylinders and the Vikings have all kinds of playmakers on both sides of the ball. They're capable of winning it all this year if they continue putting it all together.

Let's take our weekly look at the national NFL power rankings to see where the Vikings stand after the biggest victory of the O'Connell era.

Conor Orr, SI.com: No. 1 (Up 5 spots)

To be considered the best, one must beat the best. The Vikings did so, with their lone, blowout loss to the Eagles standing as their only negative on the season. We can attribute this rise to many things, but, most importantly, the Vikings are capitalizing on the moments when luck reveals itself to them and says, “Here, take it.”

Bo Wulf, The Athletic: No. 4 (Up 4 spots)

Holy hell, that

Justin Jefferson

catch.

Even without factoring in the down and distance, or the stakes, it might be the best catch any of us have ever seen. It also wasn’t the only improbable catch Jefferson made Sunday amid his 10-catch, 193-yard performance. According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, nine of Jefferson’s 10 receptions had

an expected completion probability of less than 50 percent

. The previous game-high had been six. Jefferson is a special player, and kudos to the offense for building its scheme with that in mind.

As for whether the

Vikings

are actually one of the league’s three or four best teams, that’s beside the point. They have the easiest remaining schedule, according to

The Athletic

’s

Austin Mock

, and are listed as favorites in every game but one (this week’s matchup versus

Dallas

). At 8-1, Mock projects them as having a 55.1 percent chance to capture the NFC’s No. 2 seed and a 31.1 percent chance to capture the No. 1 seed. Special seasons like that don’t come along very often, so

enjoy it while it lasts

.

Dan Hanzus, NFL.com: No. 3 (Up 4 spots)

No matter how this season turns out, the Vikings and their fans will always cherish what happened on Sunday in Buffalo. Down 17 points late in the third quarter, Minnesota mounted a furious comeback behind standout performances from their most important players: money throws from Kirk Cousins, mind-exploding catches from Justin Jefferson, a game-changing run from Dalvin Cook, and glorious ball-hawking from Patrick Peterson in a 33-30 overtime win over the powerhouse Bills. It was the type of signature win against a Super Bowl favorite that gives the Vikings legitimacy beyond their stellar win-loss record. Said Peterson to the doubters: "Look at us now. Look at us now. That's all I could say."

ESPN Staff: No. 3 (Up 1 spot)

Who was on the hot seat in preseason:

C

Garrett Bradbury

Temperature of seat right now:

Cold

The Vikings' new leadership group committed to evaluating Bradbury this season, and he has rewarded that decision. Bradbury has played all but two snaps and ranks No. 10 in ESPN Analytics' run block win rate metric. As for concern about past struggles in pass protection, he ranks No. 17 in the pass block win rate metric. Add it all up, and Bradbury has been an above-average center in 2022 and is on his way to being a priority free agent this winter. -—

Kevin Seifert

Austin Gayle, The Ringer: No. 5 (No change)

Tier 2: Deep Postseason Contenders

The easy way out would be to rank Minnesota over Buffalo coming off a game Sunday that the Vikings likely would have lost had Justin Jefferson not made one of the best catches in NFL history, or if Josh Allen didn’t fumble a snap on the goal line in the final minute of regulation. The reality is that the Bills are still the better team and deserve to be ranked accordingly. Breathe, Vikings fans. Yes, your team just beat the Bills in Buffalo, and yes, they have the second-best record in the NFL. You should enjoy it while also understanding that despite Jefferson’s heroics, the Vikings rank just 16th in offensive EPA per drive and 14th in points allowed per game. They rank just tied for eighth in point differential (35) and have won seven consecutive games by eight points or less. Without a dominant four-quarter win since Week 1, I just can’t put Minnesota into the top tier of this list.

Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: No. 3 (Up 3 spots)

It was OK to be skeptical about the Vikings' start. This wasn't a classic dominant 7-1 start. But a win at Buffalo, even as close as that one was, validates Minnesota's start.

Bleacher Report Staff: No. 3 (Up 1 spot)

The Vikings have become the kings of living dangerously. They fall behind time after time, but they keep finding ways to gut out a win. Say what you will about Kirk Cousins. Or a defense allowing the fourth-most yards per game in the league. But peeling off seven wins in a row isn't easy, and neither is going into Buffalo and beating the Bills. If there was any doubt as to whether the Vikings are for real, the matter was settled Sunday.

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: No. 3 (No change)

It's time to believe in this team. They might not always be pretty, but they get the job done. They face a tough game this week with Dallas.

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: No. 3 (Up 1 spot)

The Vikings, after losing to the Eagles on the road in Week 2, needed a signature win through all their close-game victories to get a little more respect as Super Bowl contenders. That came with the minor miracle in Buffalo, fueled by Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook.

Mike Florio, PFT: No. 1 (Up 1 spot)

Team of Destiny, even if destiny means finding yet another spectacular way to lose in the postseason.

Nate Davis, USA Today: No. 2 (Up 5 spots)

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?

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all offseason long. Also, follow me on Twitter and feel free to ask me any questions on there.