My god the Vikings still don't get any love....

[indianation65]

Yes, by God, this is continual and annoying how the rankings happen, but they are just that, rankings/guesses. It's up to the Vikes to prove the NFL/media brain trust wrong, and 10-6 won't do it. Come on Vikes, find your leaders and focus! Good things can happen this year.

Addendum: I'd say the Vikings will prove to be deep playoff contenders, and the Chiefs will surprise the league, but I'm only guessing/hoping.

...wisdom ?

[Raptorman]

According to most site and power ranking the Niners or Seahawks are winning the Super Bowl. Here's the thing, I don't think any pre season poll has ever correctly picked the Super Bowl winner. Maybe a team playing in the Super Bowl but not the winner. So I would rather be at 14-18 in the preseason polls.

[PurpleHalo]

This team is at least a year away from being serious imo. The defense needs more, especially in the LB core. Unless Ponder cleans up his abysmal footwork the defense has to be top 5 to be taken serious. If Ponder takes that step, and stops playing parellel to the line, and steps into his throws the team will be better. And they wont need Adrian to carry them. This team is about where they were in 08, ready to roll provided the QB play responds.

The defense did take a nice step last year with Alan Williams, but Rhodes will be learning on the job, gonna be growing pains. Josh Robinson needs to step up playing slot, and whoever plays opposite Harrison. They will be fun to watch to be sure, but are not in an elite level as a team.

[Hunter Morrow]

I'll take the Cowboys, last 10 years, versus the Vikings last 10 years...

The Vikings and Cowboys have about the same amount of winning seasons (5 and 6 respectively)
and the same amount of divisional titles at 2.

The Cowboys have only won 1 playoff game in that time which is their only win since 1996
but have lost to the Vikings 1 time, a 34-3 burial

They've only won 1 more game than the Vikings in the past 5 years and 6 more in the overall 10 but have not had a winning season in the past 3
and had 3 consecutive 5-11 seasons prior to 2003.

And yet if you asked the typical person who the "better" team was, almost none of them would be aware that the Cowboys have
won a single playoff game in the past 17 years or that the Vikings have actually beaten the Cowboys 3 times in the playoffs, once by more than 30 points
or that the regular season and playoff series between these two teams are dead tied at 14-14 and 3-3 but that the Vikings have the last 2 playoffs wins
and 7 of the last 8 regular season wins.

Why? Because ESPN SUX and they love to ram cowpies down your throat because "America's Team" is good for ratings and
Texas is a much bigger state than Minnesota.

[Funkytown]

I'll take the Cowboys, last 10 years, versus the Vikings last 10 years...

The Vikings and Cowboys have about the same amount of winning seasons (5 and 6 respectively)
and the same amount of divisional titles at 2.

The Cowboys have only won 1 playoff game in that time which is their only win since 1996
but have lost to the Vikings 1 time, a 34-3 burial

They've only won 1 more game than the Vikings in the past 5 years and 6 more in the overall 10 but have not had a winning season in the past 3
and had 3 consecutive 5-11 seasons prior to 2003.

And yet if you asked the typical person who the "better" team was, almost none of them would be aware that the Cowboys have
won a single playoff game in the past 17 years or that the Vikings have actually beaten the Cowboys 3 times in the playoffs, once by more than 30 points
or that the regular season and playoff series between these two teams are dead tied at 14-14 and 3-3 but that the Vikings have the last 2 playoffs wins
and 7 of the last 8 regular season wins.

Why? Because ESPN SUX and they love to ram cowpies down your throat because "America's Team" is good for ratings and
Texas is a much bigger state than Minnesota.

Truth!

My older brother is a (freakin' obnoxious) Cowboys fan. I don't talk to him much, but when it's brought up he gets all lippy about his Cowboys. I always chuckle to myself and think, "Look you ####, since you've been a legit fan of your team and I've been a fan of my team...my team has been a LOT better than yours. Yeah. Brag about those Super Bowls that you had nothing to do with or know nothing about." Foolish.

And yes, the media is all about the Cowboys. When are they going to learn?!?!

[Arma]

I'll take the Cowboys, last 10 years, versus the Vikings last 10 years...

The Vikings and Cowboys have about the same amount of winning seasons (5 and 6 respectively)
and the same amount of divisional titles at 2.

The Cowboys have only won 1 playoff game in that time which is their only win since 1996
but have lost to the Vikings 1 time, a 34-3 burial

They've only won 1 more game than the Vikings in the past 5 years and 6 more in the overall 10 but have not had a winning season in the past 3
and had 3 consecutive 5-11 seasons prior to 2003.

And yet if you asked the typical person who the "better" team was, almost none of them would be aware that the Cowboys have
won a single playoff game in the past 17 years or that the Vikings have actually beaten the Cowboys 3 times in the playoffs, once by more than 30 points
or that the regular season and playoff series between these two teams are dead tied at 14-14 and 3-3 but that the Vikings have the last 2 playoffs wins
and 7 of the last 8 regular season wins.

Why? Because ESPN SUX and they love to ram cowpies down your throat because "America's Team" is good for ratings and
Texas is a much bigger state than Minnesota.

Also Football is huge in Texas. Highschools have college sized stadiums,

[PacificNorseWest]

Some Love. NFL.COM has the Vikings ranked...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100000 ... elow-49ers

Definitely a more realistic ranking with leeway to go up the charts or down. I don't think they stay at 11 though.

[Funkytown]

Some Love. NFL.COM has the Vikings ranked...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100000 ... elow-49ers

Minnesota Vikings fans are pretty convinced that this is an 11-win team. It's possible. But did you see Christian Ponder's second toss on Friday night? Not good. That's OK ... Matt Cassel's interception was worse.

Good stuff.

[Purple bruise]

I'll take the Cowboys, last 10 years, versus the Vikings last 10 years...

The Vikings and Cowboys have about the same amount of winning seasons (5 and 6 respectively)
and the same amount of divisional titles at 2.

The Cowboys have only won 1 playoff game in that time which is their only win since 1996
but have lost to the Vikings 1 time, a 34-3 burial

They've only won 1 more game than the Vikings in the past 5 years and 6 more in the overall 10 but have not had a winning season in the past 3
and had 3 consecutive 5-11 seasons prior to 2003.

And yet if you asked the typical person who the "better" team was, almost none of them would be aware that the Cowboys have
won a single playoff game in the past 17 years or that the Vikings have actually beaten the Cowboys 3 times in the playoffs, once by more than 30 points
or that the regular season and playoff series between these two teams are dead tied at 14-14 and 3-3 but that the Vikings have the last 2 playoffs wins
and 7 of the last 8 regular season wins.

Why? Because ESPN SUX and they love to ram cowpies down your throat because "America's Team" is good for ratings and
Texas is a much bigger state than Minnesota.

But how can that be They have a Pro Bowl QB which should automatically make them a far better team than our homer Viking's team. All the Vikes have is a polished turd QB that is a midget and has a noodle arm and has already played for 1.5 seasons and only has earned one play-off birth in those 1.5 years.. So much for logic

[mosscarter]

lets face it, the vikings wound up 10-6 because peterson ran for 2,000 yards. in the end, that goes to show you how downright abysmal our passing attack was. how many td's do you think brees, rodgers, manning, even big ben, flacco would have had if peterson was in their backfield. brees might have thrown 55.

[PurpleKoolaid]

But how can that be They have a Pro Bowl QB which should automatically make them a far better team than our homer Viking's team. All the Vikes have is a polished turd QB that is a midget and has a noodle arm and has already played for 1.5 seasons and only has earned one play-off birth in those 1.5 years.. So much for logic

1.5? You failed math or are you trying to make a point?

And how did Ponder earn a playoff birth? AD and Walsh did all the hard work. Cassel could have done (and may do) what Ponder did last year.

[Purple bruise]

1.5? You failed math or are you trying to make a point?

And how did Ponder earn a playoff birth? AD and Walsh did all the hard work. Cassel could have done (and may do) what Ponder did last year.

Duh weather/wheter or not you realize it Ponder has only played in about 1 and one half seasons (is that easier for you than 1.5) and his team did reach the play-offs this last year. I call it his team because he is the starting QB. When they did not make the play-offs the year before it was also "his team". Don't let the hate blind you

[Purple bruise]

lets face it, the vikings wound up 10-6 because peterson ran for 2,000 yards. in the end, that goes to show you how downright abysmal our passing attack was. how many td's do you think brees, rodgers, manning, even big ben, flacco would have had if peterson was in their backfield. brees might have thrown 55.

You mean the same Brees, Big Ben and even Pro Bowl Player Romo that did not make the play-offs last year. How is Johnsons team (Titans) And Charles team (KC) doing with those great running backs It might take a little more than great running backs to make a great QB and vice versa.

[Demi]

And how did Ponder earn a playoff birth? AD and Walsh did all the hard work. Cassel could have done (and may do) what Ponder did last year.

Exactly. Could you imagine this team with Big Ben, Romo, or Brees? Instead they're on teams with no running game at all, and below average defenses and suffering for it. And they still won 8/8/7 games despite all the short comings, in large part because they're good enough to make plays!

[Funkytown]

Could you imagine this team with Big Ben, Romo, or Brees?

We'd earn a playoff berth every year, whether people want to believe it or not.

Sorry. Had to.

Having a QB like Brees in purple would be freaking amazing. Quit teasing guys.

Like it or not, the only teams winning Super Bowls lately are those with elite to borderline elite QBs. It's just the way it is. Team team team. I get it. But when you get in the playoffs, you almost need an elite quarterback for when times get tough. Winning in the regular season is one thing. When you get in the playoffs with the best of the best, week after week--chances are your QB is going to have to step up big time. Sure, you need a great team, but you also need a great--or at least above average--QB. Oftentimes a team isn't going to be good enough to overcome everything in the playoffs to bail out a below average QB (or to win in spite of, as some like to say), and definitely not one of the bottom QBs in the entire league. I love Ponder--and I really hope he pans out--but I understand the people who are frustrated by him. I don't, however, understand all of the impatience towards him. I feel like people take out their frustration of the past how many decades on this guy instead of being logical about the grooming period. We tried the whole quick-fix, plug-in-old-veteran-quarterback-here route. It didn't work. The Vikings are trying something different now. What's the harm in that? No one can tell me we were "a quarterback away from the Super Bowl" in the past few years anyway, so let them figure out what they have or don't have in Ponder! Let the young guys around him grow and see what happens! I like the new strategy. I think the Vikings are doing the right thing by giving Ponder another year or so to show his stuff. I hope he's the guy! But if he's not, that's fine too. The Vikes will have built a really good team and they'll possibly be a quarterback away again. Maybe?

To sum it up: An elite QB separates the men from the boys; we want to be the men, not the boys. Especially not the Cowboys!