Minnesota Vikings End of Season Power Rankings Roundup

Ah, we made it!

With the end of the NFL regular season, your Minnesota Vikings finished with a 13-4 record, an impressive feat in Kevin O’Connell’s first season steering the ship. An NFC North Championship doesn’t hurt either.

The Vikings' rollercoaster ride this year was that of a team the NFL had never, ever seen in its 101-year history. The Vikes set an NFL record by going 11-0 in one-score football games, a record that may just last until the sun burns out... A remarkable achievement to be sure.

The only multiple-score Minnesota wins came in Week 1 (Green Bay) and Week 18 (Chicago), perfectly bookending the season.

The two most improbable wins, at Buffalo in Week 10 and versus Indianapolis in Week 15, have (rightfully) overshadowed many of the other close calls. Other highlights include being the beneficiary of a double-doink in Week 4 in London against New Orleans and a 61-yard field goal to beat the NY Giants in Week 16.

Being a Vikings fan is not for the faint of heart, and this year’s team went above and beyond to prove that. Before we get to the final power rankings, here are my picks for top play, top player, and best win of the season.

Play of the Year: Justin Jefferson’s catch on 4th and 18 in Buffalo

Even with the possibility of being outdone in the playoffs, I highly doubt this will not go down as the play of the year across the entire NFL. Had he not made the most unbelievable of circus catches on this play, the game would have been over, and Eric Kendricks would have not recovered the most improbable of fumbles in the end zone. The Vikes would go on to win in OT via a game-sealing Patrick Peterson interception. Here’s Paul Allen’s call.

Top Player: Justin Jefferson

Did that catch alone not do it for you? How about the greatest receiving year of any Vikings WR, with JJ’s 2022 season toppling franchise records in both receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809). Enough said.

Best Win: Week 15, at home vs Indianapolis, 39-36 OT.

Simply put, the greatest comeback in NFL history. The previous record of coming back from 32 points, done by the Buffalo Bills in January of 1993, stood for 29 years, 11 months, and 14 days. The Vikings would recover 33 points, beginning with less than 13 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter, before pushing the game to OT and snagging the win on a Greg Joseph kick. This record will stand for a very, very long time.

With that said, here are your final regular season NFL power rankings of the 2022-2023 NFL Season.

NFL.com, Dan Hanzus: #11 - Up 1 from Week 18 (#12)

All the hand-wringing about the Vikings can officially cease. You can take them seriously the way you would most 13-4 division winners ... or you can disregard their success as the product of a fluke regular season. The truth is that none of it matters anymore. The postseason has a way of shaking out the pretenders from the contenders, and it all starts for Minnesota on Sunday against the Giants. The Vikings could be one-and-done disappointments, or they could deliver elite playoff drama across multiple rounds. They’re a hard team to get a handle on, which makes them a great team to have around. Our own version of a Knives Out Mystery.

Yahoo Sports, Frank Schwab: #7 - no change.

USA Today, Nate Davis: #9 - Up 1 from Week 18 (#10)

Has a 13-win team ever been more lightly regarded heading into postseason? Arguably not ... though no 13-win team has ever been outscored over the course of a season, either.

Bleacher Report: #7 out of all playoff teams

“How good are the Vikings really? It’s a legitimate question despite Minnesota being the NFC North champions, because it’s a team that’s gotten away with plenty this year,” he said. “In fact, the Vikings are 11-0 in one-score games this season. Yes, a team must possess a certain amount of poise and fortitude to perform so well in tense situations. Yet, the same squad required an NFL-record 33-point comeback against the lowly Indianapolis Colts and just had their hats handed to them by the Green Bay Packers in Week 17. A 5-3 record down the stretch might be a better indicator of Minnesota’s status than its 8-1 start.”

Minnesota’s defensive deficiencies aren’t going to make it easy to get past the 49ers or Eagles in the Divisional Round.

Sporting News, Vinnie Iyler: #10 out of all playoff teams

The Vikings (+3000) needed until Week 18 against a shell of a Bears team to get their first blowout victory since Week 1. They have overcome a terrible scoring defense with the required offensive points, going 11-0 in one-possession games. They’re battle-tested in the first season under offensive-minded Kevin O’Connell, but it doesn’t bode well when the Eagles and Cowboys were among the teams that routed them. The Vikings are volatile right from the wild-card round.

CBS Sports, Pete Prisco: #7 - no change

They bounced back from that horrible showing at Lambeau last week to beat up the Bears. The defense will be what decides if they can make a run in the playoffs.

The Ringer, Austin Gale: #9 out of all playoff teams

The Vikings defense might cost the team a chance at a playoff run. Since their Week 1 blowout of the Packers, the Vikings have allowed fewer than 22 points to only three teams: Miami, Washington, and Chicago. The opposing quarterbacks in those three games were Skylar Thompson and Teddy Bridgewater for Miami, Taylor Heinicke for Washington, and Nathan Peterman and Tim Boyle for the Bears. (They gave up 24 points to the Daniel Jones–led Giants when they played their eventual wild-card opponent in Week 16.) Minnesota finished the season 29th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed. Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson have been unbelievably good late in so many one-possession games this season, but they can’t keep pace with the best of the conference with the state of their defense.

Pro Football Network, Dalton Miller: #7 - up one from #8

The Minnesota Vikings took care of business against the Bears, which gave the Vikings’ starters a chance to hang out on the sideline and relax.

Minnesota gets to look in the mirror on Wild Card Weekend. The Giants have been a watered-down version of the Vikings all season. Both teams have achieved a lot in the win column but have done so in less-than-dominating fashion.

After their Week 17 drubbing against the Packers, the Vikings can breathe a sigh of relief that San Francisco took care of business against the Cardinals. Minnesota can feel good about their chances against New York.