Minnesota Vikings Power Rankings Roundup: Week 7

On Sunday, we all got the opportunity to watch and celebrate the Minnesota Vikings picking up their third consecutive victory, as they got their first victory over the New York Jets in New York (and just the third victory over the J-E-T-S in franchise history overall). You would think that would mean another move up in the Power Rankings that we gather from pundits around these vast interwebs of ours each week.

Is that going to be the case? Well, let’s take a look at what they have to say, shall we?

Associated Press: #5 (Last week: #7)

No Vikings-centric commentary from the AP this week.

SB Nation: #7 (Last week: #7)

No Vikings-centric commentary about the Vikings this week.

Walter Cherepinsky, Walter Football: #9 (Last week: #9)

Nothing new or notable from Walter Football this week.

Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: #5 (Last week: #5)

I fully understand that only quarterbacks or record-breaking running backs can win MVPs. That’s how voting has gone for decades. But if someone outside of that group was going to make a run, it might be Vikings receiver Adam Thielen. He’s been the best receiver in the NFL so far this season and it’s really not close.

Bleacher Report: #5 (Last week: #5)

You could make a convincing argument that the Minnesota Vikings hadn’t earned a top-five ranking here over the first six weeks of the season. This was an (alleged) Super Bowl contender that got flattened at home by Buffalo and had trouble putting away the Arizona Cardinals.

No, really. Both those things actually happened.

But Sunday in New York, the Vikings looked the part of one of the best teams in the NFC, taking a Jets team that’s been competitive this year behind the proverbial woodshed in the second half.

The offense scored three touchdowns on plays of over 30 yards. The defense forced four turnovers and held the Jets to 263 total yards.

There’s no time to enjoy this win, however. The Vikings now have to prepare for a rematch of last year’s divisional-round thriller with the New Orleans Saints.

On Sunday at least, the Vikings looked ready.

USA Today: #6 (Last week: #9)

Since losing 12-round decision to Rams, they’ve been quietly picking up steam while winning three straight. Big game Sunday vs. Saints.

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: #8 (Last week: #8)

Three straight victories has this team rolling. The defense is getting back to being what we expected to see.

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: #5 (Last week: #6)

The real Vikings are here. Their defense is back on track, and their offensive line is helping them produce a respectable running game to go with Kirk Cousins’ great play with Adam Thielen and everyone else.

ESPN: #6 (Last week: #10)

Need more from: RB Dalvin Cook. Backup Latavius Murray has scored in back-to-back weeks, but the Vikings still rank 22nd in yards per rush and first downs per rush. Cook has not played since Week 2 with a persistent hamstring injury, and he was averaging only 2.7 yards per rush before he went down.

MMQB, Sports Illustrated: #5 (Last week: #5)

The Vikings won their NFC title game blowout rematch with Philly earlier this season. Now the Saints are going to be amped for the Minneapolis Miracle rematch next week.

Elliot Harrison, NFL.com: #5 (Last week: #5)

This run that Adam Thielen is on, torching the league week in and week out, is edging into historic territory. Thielen recorded 110 yards Sunday, giving him seven straight 100-yard games to start the season, equaling Charley Hennigan’s pro football record, set back in 1961 for the AFL’s Houston Oilers. And he’s threatening more records. There’s also the mark for 100-yard receiving performances in a season, which is currently held by Michael Irvin and Calvin Johnson (11), and Marvin Harrison’s single-season catch mark (143), set back in 2002. Thielen is on pace for over 150.

Side note: Xavier Rhodes’ injury might be more important than all of the above.

Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: #6 (Last week: #8)

The offense needs to become much more consistent to beat the likes of the Saints and the Lions over the next two weekends.

Well, as it turns out, there were more of these outlets that held the Vikings steady this week than there were that moved them upwards. The Vikings held on to their position in seven of our twelve sets of rankings this week, though the other five sets did see them move upwards. Only one of the twelve outlets we use for these rankings has the Vikings outside of the Top 8 in the NFL, and their average ranking this week is a nice, even 6, which is up one spot from the nice, even. . .or odd. . .7 they were at last week.

Here’s a look at this week’s trend graph, which you may click to embiggen as always.

That’s a look at your Power Rankings Roundup for this week, folks. If the Vikings can get themselves a fourth consecutive victory this week. . .against a team that’s ranked ahead of them in pretty much all of the rankings we use. . .we will certainly see this recent upward trajectory continue.