Minnesota Vikings Week 6 Power Rankings Review: Climbing back up

The Minnesota Vikings are climbing their way back up the power rankings of experts following a big Week 5 win against the Philadephia Eagles on the road.

Following up on a competitive game against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4, the Minnesota Vikings got a win against the Philadelphia Eagles to help get the team back to a respectable 2-2-1 record on the season.

It’s hard to know just how good this team is considering they beat the returning World Champions, were competitive with arguably the best team in football right now, and were blown out by one of the worst teams in the league.

Still, the experts are tasked each week with ranking the Vikings in comparison with other teams each week, and it’s still astounding the range that is revealed in the power rankings heading into Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Here are some of the experts and how they see the Minnesota Vikings at this moment:

Ranked 2nd

• USA Today FTW – Steven Ruiz: “We saw what this team will look like going forward on Sunday in Philly.” (Change unknown)

Ranked 6th

• Yahoo Sports – Frank Schwab: “Kirk Cousins’ numbers through five games: 1,688 yards, 11 touchdowns, two interceptions, a 71.2 completion percentage and a 105.1 rating.” (Up 7 spots)

Ranked 7th

• FanSided – Matt Verderame: “The Vikings got a huge win in Philadelphia, and now should get going.” (Up 4 spots)
• Monday Morning QB – Staff: “It didn’t exactly avenge the NFC Championship Game loss, but the win in Philly did halt a two-game skid and keep the Vikings firmly in the thick of the NFC’s crowded playoff picture.” (Up 3 spots)

Ranked 8th

• Bleacher Report – Staff: “It was gut-check time. And when the bell rang, Minnesota answered.” (No change)

Minnesota Vikings

Ranked 9th

• Bleacher Report – Maurice Moton: “Did the Vikings right the ship, or did they beat an overrated Eagles squad?” (Change unknown)
• NESN – Jason Schrock: “Kirk Cousins and Co. might not be the Super Bowl contender they were expected to be just yet, but they have time to work out the kinks.” (Up 5 spots)
• NFL.com – Elliot Harrison: “Kirk Cousins is playing out of his freakin’ mind, man.” (Up 4 spots)
• Sporting News – Vinnie Iyer: “The Vikings’ defense needed that get-well game in Philadelphia, and embracing their identity with Kirk Cousins as a quick, high-volume passing game is smart.” (Up 4 spots)
• Washington Post – Mark Maske: “The Vikings didn’t play all that well Sunday in Philly but got a few breaks on the Linval Joseph TD and the key roughing-the-passer call against the Eagles’ Michael Bennett.” (Up 4 spots)

Ranked 10th

• NJ.com – Joe Giglio: “This team was always too talented to fail. Kirk Cousins (71.2%, 11 TD, 2 INT) doesn’t get the credit he deserves as a star quarterback.” (Up 5 spots)
• SBNation – Rebecca Toback: “The Jaguars, Ravens, Eagles, Dolphins, Titans, and Packers all lost in Week 5 after ranking in the top half of the power rankings last week.” (Up 2 spots)

Ranked 11th

• ESPN.com: “Rest-of-season SOS ranking: 26th.” (Up 2 spots)
• Pro Football Talk – Mike Florio: “How far can a team with no running game go?” (Up 6 spots)

Ranked 12th

• USA Today – Nate Davis: “Clear solution to trigger league’s second-worst run game is giving 329-pound Linval Joseph, who averages 64 yards per “carry,” some work.” (Up 5 spots)

Ranked 13th

• CBS Sports – Pete Prisco: “Was that a season saving victory against the Eagles? It might have been.” (Up 7 spots)

Ranked 16th

• NBC Sports Chicago – Cam Ellis: “They showed signs of life in Philly, but that O-Line is a real issue.” (No change)

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It’s amazing that the Vikings are sitting anywhere between second and sixteenth on expert power rankings, but that is what will happen when a team has been all over the place like Minnesota has been this season.

A majority of experts have the team ranked around ninth, which is a fair spot to have them since the proof is needed that Minnesota can win games they are expected to win like those against the Cardinals and Jets in the next two weeks.

The defense looked better against the Eagles, but there is still a concern with the protection from the offensive line as well as the Vikings inability to run the ball. Those issues will keep Minnesota away from the top of most rankings.

The Minnesota Vikings should continue to climb up power rankings if they can put away Arizona and the Jets, stabilizing their situation as well and giving experts a better body of work to judge the team on. But, for now, it’s good to see the franchise getting respect as one of the better teams in the NFL.