NFL Power Rankings, Week 4: Have Vikings Hit Rock Bottom at 0-3?

The Vikings are in deep trouble now. Deep, deep trouble. Losing another one-score heartbreaker on Sunday — this one coming down to the final ten seconds against the Chargers — dropped Kevin O'Connell's team to 0-3.

The season isn't over after three weeks, of course. The Vikings are just two games behind the Packers and Lions at 2-1, and they still have all six division matchups in front of them. But it's a massive hole to be in. Since 1990, only four of 138 teams to start 0-3 have made the postseason (2.5 percent). Most of that time period featured 16 games and six playoff teams per conference, so the odds are slightly better now that there are 17 and seven, but you get the idea.

The Vikings almost certainly need to go at least 9-5 the rest of the way to have a shot at the playoffs, and that might not even be enough. It's theoretically doable for a team with an explosive passing attack like Minnesota clearly has, but the Chiefs, 49ers, and Bengals are still on the schedule, not to mention two games against both Green Bay and Detroit. It's going to be awfully tough.

Let's check in on the national power rankings to see where the Vikings fall to this week. Is this rock bottom?

Conor Orr, SI.com: No. 29 (No change)

The Kirk Cousins trade watch is on. At 0–3, the Vikings should be in strategic free fall for their next quarterback option. Cousins’s value is never going to be higher than it is right now, just a few weeks before the deadline, with the Jets absolutely in need of a top-line starter and another few teams in need of a high-end backup that may be interested in keeping Cousins out of New York.

Josh Kendall, The Athletic: No. 25 (Down 1 spot)

QB confidence rating:

7

The only concern about Kirk Cousins in Minnesota is how long he’ll be there. He’s on pace for 6,091 yards and 51 touchdowns this year. Despite Patrick Mahomes existing and Tua Tagovailoa throwing to a collection of aliens, Cousins leads the league in passing yards (1,075) and passing touchdowns (nine). On Sunday, he became the fifth player ever with at least 325 passing yards and two touchdowns in each of his team’s first three games. The Jets, Falcons and maybe the Saints have to be interested in that.

Eric Edholm, NFL.com: No. 26 (Down 4 spots)

Is the season over? No, but it’s getting late early. Brian Flores’ defense had acquitted itself fairly respectably in the first two games, even if the limitations were obvious. On Sunday, the unit was diced up by Justin Herbert and Co., unable to pressure him enough or cover on the back end. The Chargers threw 48 passes — 41 were completed, and Vikings DBs batted away only three throws. Actually, Akayleb Evans could have made it four, but his deflected pass went right to Joshua Palmer for a TD. That was bad luck, but the reality of the situation is that the defense has little chance to hang with elite offenses.

Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: No. 24 (Down 1 spot)

Let's run this stat back: The Vikings were 11-0 in one-score games last season, an NFL record, and this season they're 0-3. It seems like the Vikings are by far the best of the winless teams, but it's tough to come back from 0-3. Only six teams in the Super Bowl era started 0-3 and made the playoffs. Since 2002, only one of 99 teams (the 2018 Texans) that started 0-3 made the postseason, via Fox 9 in Minnesota. The Vikings have lost three games by 13 combined points and are in a world of trouble.

Bleacher Report Staff: No. 23 (Down 2 spots)

Last year, the Vikings played in 11 one-score games and won them all. This year, the Vikings have played in three one-score games and lost them all. Just about everything that could go wrong has for the Vikings. Their minus-seven turnover differential is tied for the worst in the league. The Vikings are once again a dumpster fire defensively, allowing the seventh-most yards and points per game after ranking 31st in total defense last season.

ESPN Staff: No. 26 (Down 1 spot)

Biggest issue on offense:

Turnovers

The Vikings lead the NFL with nine turnovers. Their seven lost fumbles are tied for the second most through three NFL weeks since at least 2000, and Kirk Cousins' two interceptions have both been costly. One occurred at the goal line a Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers, and the other happened in the end zone to seal their Week 3 defeat against the Chargers. Coach Kevin O'Connell added new practice drills to address the fumble problems after Week 2, but tight end T.J. Hockenson fumbled to end their first possession in the ensuing game. It's hard to overstate the significance of these turnovers to a team that has lost its three games by a mere 13 points. —

Kevin Seifert

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: No. 29 (Down 3 spots)

At 0-3, their season is all but done. Climbing out of that hole won't be easy, and the defense probably won't make it possible.

Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk: No. 28 (Down 3 spots)

The Vikings out-Chargered the Chargers.

David Helman, FOX Sports: No. 20 (Down 1 spot)

Two more turnovers in Week 3 gave the Vikings nine for the season, and both of these came deep in Chargers territory. They were painfully close to winning this game, just as they were painfully close to winning the other two. I honestly still like their chances to pull out of it, provided they can ever hold on to the football.

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