NFL Power Rankings, Week 15: Concern Mounting After Vikings' Loss to Lions

Dramatic, possibly luck-aided victories over the Bills, Patriots, and Jets over the past month served to distract from the Vikings' inability to stop opposing offenses from moving the football.

Sunday's loss to the Lions, even more than the 40-3 loss to the Cowboys a few weeks ago, was a reminder that this Vikings team has a lot to fix — and quickly — if it's going to get past the divisional round of the playoffs, much less contend for a title. Ed Donatell's defense allowed over 400 yards for the fifth consecutive week, spoiling brilliant games from Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson in a 34-23 loss.

Losing to the Lions isn't cause for panic. They've been playing very well for a while now, the Vikings were missing a few key players, and the game came down to a couple critical plays that went in Detroit's favor. But it also can't be brushed off. The Vikings have a lot of work to do, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. They need to make adjustments and clean up the mistakes that have been plaguing them week after week.

Concern over the Vikings' defense seems to have peaked after Sunday's loss in Detroit. The overwhelming national narrative is that this team — the only 10-3 squad in NFL history with a negative point differential — is a paper tiger that will fall apart in the postseason.

Let's check in on where Kevin O'Connell's team falls to in the national power rankings, and what various analysts thought of their woeful defensive effort against the Lions.

Conor Orr, SI.com: No. 9 (Down 3 spots)

We are now at five straight games in which the Vikings have surrendered more than 400 total yards. Hopefully, their fan base now understands why so many of us professional power rankers were so hesitant to buy Vikings stock. I get it; the entire season has been frustrating, because you win 10 games and everyone keeps talking about how hollow those victories are and ignoring the good. Every loss is apparently the indictment of how flawed the team really is. And yet, deep down, it makes some sense, especially after losing to the favored 5–8 Lions.

Bo Wulf, The Athletic: No. 11 (Down 5 spots)

Potential free agent target this offseason:

Chiefs

WR

JuJu Smith-Schuster

The Vikings can probably do better than

K.J. Osborn

, who has 35 catches for 300 yards and three touchdowns as the primary slot receiver. Smith-Schuster has regained some of the juice he had earlier in his career while spending less time in the slot than ever. He has 61 catches for 762 yards and three touchdowns while working deeper downfield than he did over the last few seasons in Pittsburgh. He’s still only 26, which will matter to Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in trying to find a reliable pairing for

Justin Jefferson

as 32-year-old

Adam Thielen

, like us all, gets older by the day.

Dan Hanzus, NFL.com: No. 7 (Down 1 spot)

The Vikings' quest to clinch the NFC North is on pause for another week. A trip to Ford Field proved to be as difficult as advertised for Kevin O'Connell's team, which struggled to slow a roaring Lions offense in a 34-23 loss. Kirk Cousins did his best to keep Minnesota alive, delivering on-target throws all afternoon in his best performance of the season. His top receiver? Justin Jefferson, of course, who piled up a franchise-record 223 yards on 11 catches. Still, questions will continue about this team as the defense continues to get torched regularly. Minnesota will enter Week 15 dead last in football in yards allowed. This is not the recipe for postseason glory.

ESPN Staff: No. 6 (Down 1 spot)

The defense would rank lower if it weren't for eight interceptions after the start of the fourth quarter, tied for most in the NFL. Those takeaways have prevented teams from finishing drives that could have changed the outcome of games. In its past five contests, the defense has allowed an average of 30.4 points per game and 460.6 yards, the worst in the league. Offensively, coach Kevin O'Connell has boosted wide receiver Justin Jefferson to the top of the league's production charts. Overall, though, the Vikings have produced the NFL's fourth-most negative plays (76). Special teams has been the Vikings' most consistent unit and could produce multiple Pro Bowl invitations. — Kevin Seifert

Austin Gayle, The Ringer: No. 9 (Down 2 spots)

Tier 3: Flawed Postseason Contenders

It’s too bad Justin Jefferson can’t play defense. The Vikings’ star wideout caught 11 passes for 223 yards in the team’s 34-23 loss to the Lions on Sunday. Minnesota is now tied for 27th in offensive points allowed per game and ranks 31st in yards allowed per play. That type of defensive performance is the main reason to doubt the Vikings as a serious contender.

Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: No. 7 (Down 1 spot)

The Vikings are an oddity, a 10-3 team with a negative point differential and pretty much every other negative advanced stat you can think of. I still don't believe the Vikings are bad. They're just not as good as your typical 10-3 team. What is concerning is the defense. Minnesota has given up at least 400 yards in five straight games. That will cost the Vikings in the playoffs if they don't clean it up.

Bleacher Report Staff: No. 7 (Down 3 spots)

The Vikings have been living dangerously for some time. It's rare for a team to have a record as good as Minnesota's while being outscored and outgained. It's also probably not sustainable, and we're starting to see that. The Vikings are going to win the NFC North. But their defensive deficiencies are going to keep them from making a deep run in the postseason.

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: No. 7 (Down 2 spots)

The defense is a major problem for this group. It can't stop the opposition, which puts so much pressure on its offense. At 10-3, are the Vikings good or not?

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: No. 8 (Down 3 spots)

The Vikings' defensive woes have been lingering all season and they showed up in a big way in a atypical non-close game in Detroit. They still should win the NFC North soon, but there's less confidence they will make much noise in the playoffs beyond the wild-card round.

Mike Florio, PFT: No. 8 (Down 2 spots)

A blowout loss in the divisional round has never felt more certain.

Nate Davis, USA Today: No. 7 (No change)

For the first time in their 62-season history, they've allowed 400 yards in five consecutive games – among the unusual number of issues facing team likely to be seeded second or third in the NFC playoff bracket.

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