Vikings Continue Tumbling in Latest ESPN NFL Power Rankings

With a 5-7 record, it's been a disappointing season for the Minnesota Vikings. Things took a turn for an all-time low when they gave the lowly Detroit Lions their first win of the season in Week 13. As a result, Minnesota continues its tumble in ESPN's latest NFL power rankings.

The Vikings clocked in at No. 18 last week, however, the loss to the Lions has pushed them down five spots to No. 23.

Vikings Power Ranking

Three of the bottom-10 teams on ESPN's rankings come from the NFC North, with the Chicago Bears (No. 28) and Detroit Lions (No. 30) placing worse than the Vikings.

Scoring hasn't been an issue for the Vikings, with their 25.7 points per game ranking 11th-best in the league. However, life won't get easier with No. 1 running back Dalvin Cook still sidelined and No. 2 WR Adam Thielen could miss time with a high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 13.

The bigger issue comes with Minnesota's defense, proven by the 31.3 PPG allowed over its last three games — the third-worst average during that stretch.

Vikings fans should hope their team solves their defensive woes going forward. After all, two of the team's next five games are against the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams, who both have top-10 offenses over their last three games.

Minnesota has a chance to get back on track with a Week 14 date against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday. The Vikings are currently 3-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.