NFL Power Rankings, Week 16: Vikings Continue to Lead the League in Drama

Has there ever been a more entertaining NFL team than the 2022 Vikings?

That's a hyperbolic question, but you get the point. Whether these Vikings are true contenders, total pretenders, or somewhere in between, they're nothing if not dramatic.

On the field, their games have come down to the wire all season, often in ridiculous fashion. They also happen to have one of the biggest superstars in the game leading the way in Justin Jefferson, the league's leading receiver. Off the field, they've had everything from a shirtless Kirk Cousins rocking chains on a postgame flight to Patrick Peterson publicly trashing his former quarterback in Arizona.

Back in Week 10, the Vikings beat the Bills in overtime in one of the best games of the last decade. This weekend, they somehow managed to top that by staging the biggest comeback in the history of the NFL, rallying from a 33-0 halftime deficit in an overtime win over the Colts. The Vikings are now 10-0 in one-score games, which is tied for the most such wins in a season in league history.

This team still has a lot to clean up and improve before the postseason begins. But even if they're a flawed group, it's hard to count them out.

Let's take a look at this week's power rankings to see where the Vikings are — and what various national analysts thought of their historic comeback.

Conor Orr, SI.com: No. 7 (Up 2 spots)

Good for the Vikings, who notched the largest comeback in NFL history. As I wrote at the time, I don’t care that it’s the Colts. This was still a professional football game. While I’m still not picking them to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs (opponent pending), I think this does a great deal for Minnesota’s collective psyche, so long as it’s not completely exhausted.

Bo Wulf, The Athletic: No. 9 (Up 2 spots)

Wow. Part of what made Minnesota’s march from 33 points down so impressive is how inevitable and imperfect it seemed. Kirk Cousins threw an interception and the Vikings had another turnover on downs sandwiched among five second-half touchdowns. It was a game Vikings fans and players will remember forever. Maybe this is the team of destiny.

Dan Hanzus, NFL.com: No. 8 (Down 1 spot)

The Vikings obviously have a sense of humor. They must know the football world has been in an ongoing debate about whether the team is a legitimate contender or an outright fraud -- it's the only possible explanation for falling behind the lowly Colts 33-0 at halftime on Saturday before mounting the greatest comeback in the 103-year history of the NFL. "You just need five touchdowns," veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson told his offensive teammates at halftime. "That's nothing." The final touchdown came from Dalvin Cook, who nearly brought the roof down at U.S. Bank Stadium on the 64-yard screen-pass score with less than three minutes to play in regulation that set up Greg Joseph's game-winner in overtime. Call them contenders, call them pretenders ... just don't call them boring.

ESPN Staff: No. 7 (Down 1 spot)

Pleasant surprise:

CB

Duke Shelley

At one point this season, the Vikings had three of their top four cornerbacks —

Cameron Dantzler Sr.

,

Akayleb Evans

and

Andrew Booth Jr

. — on injured reserve. Shelley, a four-year veteran signed to the practice squad in Week 1, has helped them navigate that distress better than anyone could have imagined. He didn't get a single defensive snap until Week 10, but he has started two games and made game-saving plays in both of them. Although Dantzler is back from injured reserve, it appears that Shelley has supplanted him as the starter opposite

Patrick Peterson

. He has gotten his hands on five passes since Week 12. —

Kevin Seifert

Austin Gayle, The Ringer: No. 7 (Up 2 spots)

Tier 2: Deep Postseason Contenders

This Vikings’ season is hilarious. After pulling off the largest comeback in league history on Saturday, the Vikings clinched the NFC North and improved their record to 10-0 in one-score games. They have one of the best overall records in football and yet haven’t beaten a team by more than eight points since Week 1. Their plus-2 point differential is the lowest of any NFL team with 11 or more wins in the first 15 weeks of the season since 2000. But let’s save the regression talk for the offseason; the seemingly destined Vikings are in the playoffs. It’d take an improbable run to make the Super Bowl, but no team has proved better in improbable situations.

Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: No. 7 (No change)

If you want to entertain yourself, go to social media and say something like "Kirk Cousins actually isn't that bad!" People lose their minds ripping Cousins. He's the same quarterback who has seven fourth-quarter comebacks this season and put up 460 yards and four touchdowns in the greatest comeback in NFL history last week. Is Cousins great? No. He's just a lot better than his detractors will ever admit.

Bleacher Report Staff: No. 7 (No change)

Coming back from 33 down is a great story and all. But Minnesota allowed 36 points against one of the worst offenses in the league. This also marked the first time in over a month that the Vikings allowed less than 400 yards of offense. The Vikings are a good team. But those defensive deficiencies can't be overlooked — and they're going to cost Minnesota in the playoffs.

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: No. 6 (Up 1 spot)

Rallying from 33 down to beat the Colts could be the game that gets this team going. Kirk Cousins was outstanding in the comeback.

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: No. 6 (Up 2 spots)

Mike Florio, PFT: No. 7 (Up 1 spot)

It’s one thing to come back from 33-0 against the Colts. It’s another to do it against, you know, a good team.

Nate Davis, USA Today: No. 8 (Down 1 spot)

Historic, wonderful comeback ... blah, blah. The fact they fell into a 33-point hole — at home — to say nothing of the seven sacks Minnesota surrendered or its three turnovers, is going to give whichever team(s) travels to Minneapolis during the playoffs plenty of confidence it can leave with a victory.

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.