Vikings Snag Another Underwhelming ‘Power Rankings’ Appraisal
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings finished off Day Four for training camp in style (an impressive display of fireworks for fans in attendance) and without three quarterbacks (Kirk Cousins, Kellen Mond, and Nate Stanley were sidelined for COVID matters).
So far, Kellen Mond, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, K.J. Osborn, and Irv Smith Jr. have shined while Danielle Hunter and the defense are regaining form after a depressing 2020 defensive showing. Too, the star-studded players like Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, and Harrison Smith, among others, are performing at their usual mega levels [in practice anyway].
While the team progresses in camp, the NFL court of public opinion remains surprisingly unimpressed by the Vikings. The memory of 7-9 last season under the same regime — Rick Spielman, Mike Zimmer, and Kirk Cousins — evidently causes onlookers to surmise “same ‘ol Vikings” regarding the team’s 2021 outlook.
Never mind the acquisitions of Patrick Peterson, Dalvin Tomlinson, Sheldon Richardson, Bashaud Breeland, Xavier Woods, and draft class of Christian Darrisaw, Wyatt Davis, and Kellen Mond — NFL analysts mostly perceive Minnesota as a below-average team.
Last week, it was Bleacher Report plopping the Vikings at a #21 ranking from best to worst. That’s right, the 2021 Vikings are in the same category as the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots for the upcoming season. Cousins was essentially nominated by Bleacher Report as the reason for the subpar ranking.
NBC Sports also authored pre-training camp power rankings, and the Vikings placed at #19. Darren Hartwell defended the Vikings positioning:
“Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson should make some exciting plays and there are plenty of worse quarterbacks than Kirk Cousins. But unless their defense improves dramatically, there’s nothing to suggest the Vikings will be anything more than a middle-of-the-pack team in the NFC.“
NBC Sports took a different rationale than Bleacher Report for classifying Minnesota below the ‘average’ mark — the defense. Ask Vikings fans about the 2021 season — and defense is likely at the bottom of the concern bucket. Why? Because Mike Zimmer rarely fosters trashy defenses, hanging his purple hat ad nauseam on the importance of defensive football. Minnesota encountered a whirlwind of injuries in 2020 to Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, Michael Pierce (COVID opt-out), Mike Hughes, and Eric Kendricks. Zimmer’s eighth season will serve as a verdict on whether those injuries mattered — or if he is suddenly inept at coaching defense.
If defense is the item holding the Vikings back from national respect, then Zimmer’s bunch might get kudos early on. The pandemic season was the first time in Zimmer’s head coaching career that his defense was anywhere remotely below average.
The stakes are high. If Bleacher Report and NBC Sports are correct and the Vikings finish the 2021 season as the NFL’s 19th or 21st-best team per wins and losses, widespread change will sweep the Vikings. Because of the aforementioned injuries, Zimmer got a bit of a “pass” for 2020’s downward spiral. No such leeway is likely to be afforded in 2021.
It’s a penultimate season on the horizon.