The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions in Week 12, but did their Thanksgiving win help to convince experts to rank them higher on power rankings?
After defeating the Detroit Lions on the road on Thanksgiving, the Minnesota Vikings are looking like they could be running away with the NFC North crown and sprinting toward the playoffs on the heels of their 7 game winning streak.
Their big win has the team gaining more respect from experts close to the NFL, but just how much? And which teams do they believe are better than the Vikings heading into week 13 of the NFL season?
Let’s take a look at where Minnesota is ranked on some of the most well-respected websites which cover the NFL:
Ranked #3
- Bleacher Report – Chris Simms: “The Vikings are capable of winning a Super Bowl this year.” (Up 1 spot)
- Bleeding Green Nation – Brandon Lee Gowton: “There’s no question Case Keenum is playing very well. The only question is: how long can it really last?” (Up 2 spots)
- Fansided – Russel S. Baxter: “it would be a shock if the Vikings didn’t win a division title for the second time in three years.” (Up 1 spot)
- NESN – Joshua Schrock: “Case Keenum improved to 6-2 as a starter by beating the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving” (Up 1 spot)
- NFL.com – Elliott Harrison: “The Vikings prove every week that they are a principal player in the Lombardi chase.” (Up 1 spot)
- New York Daily News – Manish Mehta: “Like it or not, Case Keenum should be in the MVP conversation.” (Up 1 spot)
- SB Nation – Adam Stites: “That Week 11 win over the Rams looks even better a week later, and the tiebreaker over Los Angeles could prove important.” (Up 2 spots)
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Ranked #4
- CBS Sports – Pete Prisco: “Case Keenum has proven he should be the quarterback, but now must show it again on the road against Atlanta.” (Up 1 spot)
- Chicago Tribune – Brad Biggs: “Defensive end Everson Griffen has to be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year.” (No change)
- NJ.com – Joe Giglio: “This group just keeps winning and dominating on both sides of the ball.” (Up 1 spot)
- Pro Football Talk – Mike Florio: “They’re starting to feel like a potential Super Bowl team. Which means that the inevitable implosion is coming.” (No change)
- Sports Illustrated – MMQB Staff: “Highest-Place Vote: Third (4), Lowest-Place Vote: Fifth (2)” (Up 1 spot)
- Sporting News– Vinnie Iyer: “Case Keenum keeps balling out, perhaps motivated by the fact that Mike Zimmer is going week-to-week on starting him.” (Up 1 spot)
- USA TODAY Sports: “Judging by the numbers anyway (70 catches, 1,005 yards in 11 games), Adam Thielen deserves to be mentioned in conjunction with Randy Moss.” (No change)
- Yahoo Sports – Frank Schwab: “Quarterbacks always get too much credit or blame, but it’s hard to deny that Keenum has been a big part of a team that would get a first-round bye if the season ended today.” (Up 1 spot)
Ranked #5
- ESPN.com: “Case Keenum has been great with Bradford out.” (Down 1 spot)
Next: Ups and Downs from Week 12 vs Lions
It’s no surprise that the Eagles and Steelers are ranked above the Minnesota Vikings by most experts, but there are also arguments for the Patriots to be there. However, unless you are ESPN, you see the boys in purple trending upwards heading into the home stretch of the season.