NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Vikings Hold Onto Top-Ten Spot

The Vikings narrowly avoided disaster on Sunday.

In the NFL, games are frequently decided – and seasons defined – by the smallest of margins.

Imagine for a second that the Cowboys don't call three head-scratching plays for Ezekiel Elliott on their final drive in Week 10, instead going back to Amari Cooper, scoring the go-ahead touchdown, and winning the game. Now imagine the Broncos manage to complete one of their three shots to the end zone in the waning seconds of Sunday's game.

In that easily-envisioned scenario, the Vikings are 6-5 and have crashed into the bye week with three straight losses. They're now a half-game behind the Rams for the second wild card spot in the NFC, and the mood and conversations around the team are entirely different.

Luckily for the Vikings, that's not how it happened. They pulled out close, emotional wins in consecutive weeks and are in a great spot to make the playoffs; ESPN and FiveThirtyEight each give the Vikings a better than 90 percent chance to reach the postseason.

Let's see where the Vikings stand in this week's power rankings, and how national writers are feeling about the team as they head into their off week.

ESPN: No. 7 (No change)

This week, ESPN had its team reporters list the most underrated player on the team they cover. Courtney Cronin went with Jayron Kearse. "In back-to-back weeks, Kearse has been credited with making the final play of the game to seal victories. He picked off Dak Prescott's Hail Mary attempt last week and broke up a pass in the end zone as time expired on Sunday against the Broncos. Kearse's playing time has fluctuated, and the return of Andrew Sendejo puts the 6-foot-4 safety's role in question. Still, when Harrison Smith sustained a hamstring injury late against Denver, Vikings coaches trusted Kearse to cover tight end Noah Fant in the ultimate 'got to have it' situation. Coming through in these moments cements Kearse's importance in the secondary."

NFL.com: No. 7 (No change)

"Kirk Cousins is having a nice little stretch for himself. He showed doubters he could go on the road and beat a quality opponent in prime time in the Vikings' Week 10 win over the Cowboys. And on Sunday, the quarterback proved he can led a team back from the abyss – in this case, a 20-0 halftime deficit against the Broncos. Cousins was immaculate in the second half, piling up 261 passing yards and three TDs over four consecutive touchdown drives. The quarterback didn't do it himself, but he proved he can step to the front of the pack and lead this Minnesota team when it doesn't have the luxury of leaning on Dalvin Cook and the running game. One final takeaway: The Vikings are so hard to beat in their building; if they can take the NFC North and host a game or two in January ... look out."

Bleacher Report: No. 8 (Up 1 spot)

"Given how loaded the NFC is, the Vikings accomplished their primary goal in Week 11: get a win and stay in the second wild-card spot. But that first half is why I have a hard time envisioning these Vikings getting past the NFC's big dogs. You might be able to dig out of a hole like that against Denver, but come out flat like that in the postseason (or even two weeks from now at Seattle), and you'll get rolled. Minny will probably make the playoffs this year, but it isn't getting out of the second round."

CBS Sports: No. 6 (No change)

"That was an impressive second half against Denver. But they can't do that against good teams. The defense has to tighten up some."

NBC Sports ProFootballTalk: No. 7 (No change)

Bold words from Mike Florio: "Don’t be shocked if when the dust settles in 40 days the NFC road to Miami goes through Minneapolis."

Chicago Tribune: No. 7 (Up 1 spot)

"It would have been a long week off for the Vikings if they had not rallied to beat the Broncos after trailing 20-0 at halftime. They have won six of their last seven games, and the late open date will help as wide receiver Adam Thielen should finally be cleared to return from a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 7. That bodes well for quarterback Kirk Cousins."

Washington Post: No. 6 (Up 1 spot)

"The Vikings never should have fallen so far behind the Broncos. But their big comeback and the uplifting victory provide further evidence that this is a different version of Kirk Cousins and a more resilient Vikings team on display this season."

Sporting News: No. 7 (No change)

"The Vikings would have blown that Broncos game last season. But this season, their offensive execution with Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Cook has been terrific, whether they're rolling out to leads or mounting comebacks. Mike Zimmer has done a solid coaching job, and Cousins has lived up to his contract."