Minnesota Vikings surge in NFL power rankings after Week 8 upset
By Adam Carlson
Are the experts right about the Vikings this week?
It’s nice to see the Vikings getting some more respect from the experts in this week’s power rankings. But it is also understandable that the purple and gold aren’t getting too much of an increase considering some of their horrendous play earlier this season.
An increase of 4.4 spots for beating one of the top teams in the league while on the road is quite an achievement. But the team will need to string together a few wins before they can elevate into the middle of the pack or higher when compared to other NFL franchises.
The availability of Dalvin Cook also seems like an enormous factor in determining how good this team is. They are just a much better team when their star running back is on the field and experts need to be cautious not to elevate the team so much when it is so dependent on one player.
As a whole, putting Minnesota at an average of 22 seems more than fair. Until the Vikings can consistently prove they can beat good teams (or win a game at U.S. Bank Stadium), they don’t deserve to move up too much.
Where do you think Minnesota deserves to land in the NFL power rankings heading into Week 9? And is their placement among experts this week reasonable? Let us know your opinion in the comments!