Friday, October 1, 2021

Minnesota Vikings Week 4 NFL Power Rankings

Throughout the 2021 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Here is where the Minnesota Vikings rank in terms of average, best and worst:

  • Average ranking: 18.2 (19th)
  • Best ranking: 16th (NFL.com)
  • Worst ranking: 20th (ESPN)

Below you will find a Week 4 roundup for the Vikings in our consensus 2021 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 20

Kirk Cousins has been lights out for the Vikings in the best three-game start to his career -- eight passing touchdowns to zero interceptions and a 73.9% completion percentage. His fifth straight game with multiple passing touchdowns led Minnesota to its first win of the season versus Seattle, and he did it by capitalizing on his strengths. Cousins was 24-of-28 for 273 yards and three touchdowns when not pressured. (He has averaged 8.27 yards/attempt with no pressure in his career, fifth best in the NFL since he entered the league.) He dominated against the blitz. (Over the past three seasons, he has 26 TDs to two interceptions when being the blitzed.) And he continues to find success with Justin Jefferson, connecting on 20 of 30 passes for 254 yards and two TDs. -- Courtney Cronin

NFL.com -- Rank: 16

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer called it the best offensive game of his Vikings tenure. Kirk Cousins led Minnesota on three touchdown drives in the first half, then engineered a trio of second-half field-goal marches that chewed up more than 20 minutes of game time in a 30-17 win over the Seahawks at raucous U.S. Bank Stadium. Cousins has been, to be blunt, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL through three weeks. "It's been a different Kirk," wide receiver Adam Thielen said. "He's just locked in and on time, he's trusting it." Credit is due, both to the forever-scrutinized Cousins and Klint Kubiak, a first-year offensive coordinator who has found an instant groove.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 18

They saved their season with an impressive home victory over the Seahawks. The offense is really clicking the past two weeks, but it was the improvement by the defense that will be key going forward.

USA Today -- Rank: 18

Beating Seattle for the first time since 2009 ... without RB Dalvin Cook ... while starting a key three-game homestand might just have put the Vikes' teetering season back on track.

The Athletic -- Rank: 19

Surprise! While the Vikings were an early disappointment with their 0-2 start, Kirk Cousins was sneakily putting together some impressive stats: eight touchdowns and no interceptions, a 73.9 completion percentage (nearly 7 points above his career average) and more than 9 yards per attempt. He was particularly sharp against Seattle (three touchdowns and over 10 yards per attempt) on Sunday, when the Vikings were playing without running back Dalvin Cook. Best of all? He's been sacked just one time in each of the past two games.

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