Every Wednesday, BringMeTheNews will round up the NFL power rankings from some of the biggest publications and give you a glimpse of what national media think of the Vikings.
Here’s the round-up for Week 2, which features a big move upward on almost every list – propelling the Vikings out of the bottom third of the league.
AP Pro32 poll: #20 ( ↑ 8 )
No comments included, but Minnesota received 162 total points from the 11 voters on the panel. (If a voter ranks a Team No. 1, they receive 32 points; a last-place rank is 1 point.)
Link: AP Pro32 poll
CBS Sports: #20 ( ↑ 7 )
“The defense was really good against the Rams, but was that because the Rams aren’t any good? We’ll know more against New England this week.”
Link: CBS Sports:
ESPN.com: #17 ( ↑ 9 )
“It wasn’t vertical, but it was effective. Matt Cassel threw three passes deeper than 10 yards downfield, but was 16-of-22 for 152 yards and two touchdowns on short throws.”
Link: ESPN.com
FOX Sports: #19 ( ↑ 8 )
“Mike Zimmer’s young and talented defense is coming together faster than expected. On the offensive side of the ball, WR Cordarelle Patterson proved why he’s a dynamic weapon with the potential to score on any touch in Norv Turner’s offense.”
Link: FOX Sports
NFL.com: #19 ( ↑ 7 )
“All the buzz centers on receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who rushed for over 100 yards on Sunday. He is exciting, no doubt, but let’s tap the brakes — he also caught just three passes for 26 yards. That’s kind of an important part of a wideout’s game.
But I don’t want to belittle the understandable excitement in Minnesota. The Vikings went 4-0 in the preseason and simply hammered the Rams (at their place, to boot).”
Link: NFL.com
Sports Illustrated: #17 ( ↑ 5 )
“‘I just want the ball in my hands,’ Cordarrelle Patterson told the Pioneer Press after Minnesota’s 34-6 romp in St. Louis. ‘ … When I get the ball in my hands, I expect great things.’
The Vikings ‘expect great things’ from Adrian Peterson as well, of course. The key, as happened Sunday, is continuing to get relatively decent things from quarterback Matt Cassel.”
Link: Sports Illustrated
Average rank: 18.67
Average move: +7.3
