Tag: Vinnie Iyer

Vikings still in top 10 of NFL analyst’s latest power rankings

After losing back-to-back games and left tackle Christian Darrisaw, for the season, the Minnesota Vikings are falling down power rankings.

To say that things have not gone the Minnesota Vikings’ way this past week would be an understatement. The team has lost two games in the span of a week after winning their first five. They were a miraculous Hail Mary in Washington away from going from first to last in the division. Worst of all, they’ve lost their star left tackle for the remainder of the season.

All of that combined has led to a dramatic drop in the latest NFL power rankings from The Sporting News’ NFL analyst Vinnie Iyer. Despite the loss last week, the Vikings were still sitting in Iyer’s top 3 coming into this week. Now, after back-to-back losses and the Vikings’ defense looking uncharacteristically bad in both — along with the loss of Christian Darrisaw — the Vikings have fallen to the 9th spot.

That six-place drop was matched only by the Baltimore Ravens, who fell from the fourth spot to the 10th, and surpassed by the New York Jets, who fell from the 23rd spot to the 30th.

If there’s any consolation for the Vikings and their fans amid this rough stretch, the team’s schedule gets a lot easier in the next few weeks. After tough games against both the Lions and the Rams, the Vikings get the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans in their next three games.

Minnesota has a lot to work out on the defense, as that has been the biggest pain point these past two weeks. They’re also going to need to figure out what they’re going to do in the wake of the Darrisaw injury, whether that’s rolling with David Quessenberry, shifting Blake Brandel over to tackle, moving Brian O’Neill over to the left side of the line, or signing a free agent offensive tackle.

Fortunately, these next three weeks should afford them time to work out those kinks. However, nothing comes easy in the NFL, and Minnesota can’t overlook these next three opponents.

Minnesota Vikings continue their ascent up NFL power rankings

The Minnesota Vikings are definitively one of the best teams in the NFL after four weeks, and their ascent up NFL power rankings shows that.

Very few people anticipated the Minnesota Vikings being one of just two undefeated teams after Week 4 when the NFL season started. Yet, that’s where quarterback Sam Darnold has the team sitting. Add in a sweltering defense commanded by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, and it’s undeniable that the Vikings are one of the best teams in the league this season. This stance is reflected in many outlets’ power rankings heading into Week 5.

ESPN: No. 2 (Up three spots from last week)

Brian Flores’ defense has been one of the NFL’s best stories this season, and there are no glaring issues. But after the group allowed 22 points in the fourth quarter to the Packers, it’s worth thinking about age and snap counts. Of the 10 defensive players who have started all four games, three are 30 or older and six are 28 or older. So far this season, the Vikings’ defense has played the league’s third-most defensive snaps (272). Safety Harrison Smith (35), cornerback Stephon Gilmore (34) and No. 3 corner Shaq Griffin (29) constitute one of the NFL’s oldest secondaries. — Kevin Seifert

Pro Football Talk: No. 3 (Up four spots)

Between the players and the coaching on both sides of the ball, they’ve got the most balanced team in the league. — Mike Florio

The Sporting News: No. 2. (Up two spots)

Sam Darnold has maximized the offensive pop with Justin Jefferson and the rest of the receivers. The defense continues to dictate terms with big plays, sacks, and takeaways. Kevin O’Connell easily has the best team in the NFC so far. — Vinnie Iyer

Vikings QB Sam Darnold ranked among the league’s worst starters

The Sporting News’ NFL analyst Vinnie Iyer ranks Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold as the third-worst starter in the league for 2024

Even before J.J. McCarthy injured his knee and was lost for the season, we knew that the Minnesota Vikings would head into the season with Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback. The question wasn’t if Darnold would start, it was how long he would remain the starter. It was assumed that it was only a matter of time before Darnold’s play would warrant a switch.

Now, that’s not an option, and Darnold has a firm hold on the starting job, and the Vikings are going to be in a world of hurt if Darnold gets hurt or struggles as he has through most of his career. That history of struggle has many pessimistic about Darnold’s future with the Vikings, and the Vikings’ chances this season.

Among those who are pessimistic is The Sporting News NFL analyst Vinnie Iyer. Iyer recently released his rankings of all the starting quarterbacks in the NFL, ranked 1-32, and Darnold’s placement on the list doesn’t instill confidence that Minnesota can win much in 2024.

The Vikings were able to stay in playoff contention for much of the 2023 season with a quarterback carousel after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles, so it’s possible the talent on the roster — particularly on defense — can carry the team once again. But they’ll need to with Darnold ranking as the 30th starting quarterback in the league, according to Iyer.

That ranking puts Darnold ahead of just two starting quarterbacks: Las Vegas Raiders’ Gardner Minshew, who was a surprise choice over last year’s starter Aidan O’Connell, and New England Patriots first-round pick Drake Maye, who still hasn’t been officially named the starter over Jacoby Brissett.

That alone speaks volumes about how Iyer — and, to a certain extent, the general populace — sees Darnold as a starter. And that pessimism is warranted for the former third-overall selection. Darnold has famously struggled throughout his career, at one point becoming a meme for proclaiming he was “seeing ghosts out there.”

Still, the talent around Darnold is strong, with arguably the best wide receiver in the league, Justin Jefferson, to throw to. He also has one of the better left tackles in the league, Christian Darrisaw, to protect him. If ever there was a time for Darnold to succeed, it’s now. He’s never had a better supporting cast around him, save for his time in San Francisco — where he seldom saw the field behind Brock Purdy.