Power Ranking Still Insists Vikings Are Below Average

Jul 29, 2022; Minneapolis, MN, USA; US Bank Stadium during training camp. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout the offseason, Vikings fans grew accustomed to seeing their favorite team being overlooked. Well, it doesn’t appear that the arrival of training camp is changing much. A recent power ranking on PFF finds the Vikings in a familiar position.

According to Sam Monson, Minnesota is the 22nd best team. Take a look at his rationale:

The Vikings have won between seven and 10 games for the last four seasons, prompting ownership to make a change and hire a new general manager and head coach. The moves this offseason have been all about maintaining course though, which leaves the team stuck in the same narrow band of outcomes as before. Unless Kevin O’Connell does a fantastic job as head coach in Year 1 or Kirk Cousins has an equally inspired season at quarterback, this team likely wins between seven and 10 games again.

Now, we should be fair to Monson. Recent seasons have given folks very little reason to actually believe in this team. They’ve spent their time in football purgatory, a mid-level destination that keeps them from true contention and elite draft picks. After all, the PFF piece puts Minnesota in the “Stuck in Limbo” section. As a result, I really can’t be overly critical of people who look at the team – which is quite similar to past seasons – and conclude that Minnesota isn’t going to take a large step forward.

That being said, I can also understand the belief that the modest spot in the power ranking isn’t entirely fair to the Vikings. Perhaps a better coach can allow this offense to climb into elite. The talent is there, so we’ll need to see if Kevin O’Connell finds a way to get the team to fulfill its potential.

Moreover, the defense does actually look quite different. Simply getting Danielle Hunter healthy is a massive addition. Partnering him with Harrison Phillips, Za’Darius Smith, and Jordan Hicks will make the front seven considerably stronger. If Lewis Cine and/or Andrew Booth Jr. are as good as many hope, then this defense has the capacity to be much different from the 2021 version. Bringing it all together will be the Ed Donatell scheme that ought to allow his side to play fast.

So, I’m not overly concerned about the modest spot for the Vikings in the PFF power ranking. At the end of the day, the team will need to earn respect from fans, writers, and evaluators. Putting together a great 2022 season is the key to doing so.


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