NFL Power Rankings: Vikings enter top 10 for first time

If nothing else, this is clear: Joshua Dobbs can play in this league, and Kevin O’Connell can coach a little. This season has gone nothing like the 2022 campaign did, and yet, the Vikings are right back in contention. They’ve won five straight, which is the longest current win streak in the league after Sunday’s win over New Orleans, in spite of starting three different quarterbacks in three games. That shouldn’t be a problem going forward, assuming Dobbs stays healthy, because he’s the man. I openly called for a change in Arizona because things went stale there after a certain point with Dobbs, but he’s rediscovered his mojo and is in a better situation, especially with Justin Jefferson approaching a return. Oh, and how about that Vikings defense? It is allowing 297.9 yards per game since Week 4 and has 11 turnovers in the past five contests, including two huge ones against the Saints in the final three-plus minutes.

If nothing else, this is clear: Joshua Dobbs can play in this league, and Kevin O’Connell can coach a little. This season has gone nothing like the 2022 campaign did, and yet, the Vikings are right back in contention. They’ve won five straight, which is the longest current win streak in the league after Sunday’s win over New Orleans, in spite of starting three different quarterbacks in three games. That shouldn’t be a problem going forward, assuming Dobbs stays healthy, because he’s the man. I openly called for a change in Arizona because things went stale there after a certain point with Dobbs, but he’s rediscovered his mojo and is in a better situation, especially with Justin Jefferson approaching a return. Oh, and how about that Vikings defense? It is allowing 297.9 yards per game since Week 4 and has 11 turnovers in the past five contests, including two huge ones against the Saints in the final three-plus minutes.

Josh Dobbs did it again in leading the Vikings to victory over the Saints. The defense has really come on in recent weeks for this 6-4 team.

The Vikings haven’t lost a game by more than seven points all season. They could easily be better than 6-4. It’s hard to know if all this is sustainable. But as the weeks go on, it’s clear that Kevin O’Connell is a prime Coach of the Year candidate and the Vikings are in great position to make the playoffs in a top-heavy NFC.

Let’s enjoy Josh Dobbs’ historic start for what it is — a brilliant, unexpected stretch from a player who’d put in the work before getting his opportunity. But Dobbs’ history suggests it won’t last, even with Justin Jefferson slated to return from injured reserve at some point. That’s fine! If he can merely be average and this defense can continue to discombobulate opponents, there’s a very real chance Minnesota overcomes a 1-3 start and Kirk Cousins’ torn Achilles en route to a playoff bid. — CD

Kevin O’Connell didn’t get a lot of credit for Minnesota’s 13-4 record in his first season as head coach because of the Vikings crazy luck in one-score games and ensuing playoff flameout, but what he’s done in the two games since Kirk Cousins suffered an Achilles injury is impressive. Last week, Minnesota scored 31 points with a quarterback, Josh Dobbs, who had not taken a snap with the team until that day. On Sunday, the Vikings followed that up with another win under Dobbs, who had a 101.1 passer rating.

To say it’s been a wild year for Joshua Dobbs is an understatement. When the preseason started, Dobbs was in Cleveland. Then he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals, made several starts, was benched and then traded again to the Vikings.

Now, Dobbs has led the Vikings to two wins in less than two full weeks with the team, making quite an impression on Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell.

“I can’t emphasize enough what the circumstances were for him in our offense last week, but what I think was really special this week, is even coming off of that performance, [was] his work, how he prepared,” O’Connell told reporters. “He was essentially living at the facility and going through his normal process while also allowing us to show him how we do things, how we try to enhance his ability to play fast while also giving him really good plays that he can be responsible for.”

A Vikings team that has been blasted by injuries to players like quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receiver Justin Jefferson and now running back Alexander Mattison has peeled off five straight wins to climb back into the NFC playoff race. Dobbs is a folk hero in Minnesota who will never have to pay for another Juicy Lucy again.

And come free agency next year, Dobbs is going to be in line for quite the sack of cash.

Can the Josh Dobbs story actually get better? He threw for a career-best 268 yards Sunday and already leads Minnesota with two rushing touchdowns (in just two games). But this fairy tale could go next level amid the pending return of All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

The new man on the Vikings, Josh Dobbs, keeps producing the same results they were enjoying offensively with Kirk Cousins, thanks to more help from the running game for Kevin O’Connell and the defense overall under Brian Flores. Their 0-3 and 1-4 starts are distant memories as the Vikings look for a sixth straight win in Week 11 vs. Denver.

The Vikings have pulled themselves out of a 1-4 start with five consecutive wins, all with receiver Justin Jefferson on injured reserve, and are in good position for an NFC wild-card playoff spot. But they’re also only 1.5 games behind the Lions in the NFC North, and the teams will play twice in the final three weeks of the season. That makes the first matchup, to be played at U.S. Bank Stadium, pretty darn important. Much could happen between now and then, but if the teams are within a couple games at that point, it’ll be a must-win for the Vikings. On the other hand, the Lions could potentially knock the Vikings out of the playoff race altogether by sweeping the season series. — Kevin Seifert

With all the focus on the quarterback position, the defense is gradually getting better and better.

It’s impossible not to love Josh Dobbs. What he’s done in his two weeks as a Minnesota Viking has been nothing short of unbelievable. It’s the makings of a movie script, and if the Vikings somehow make the playoffs – or if they somehow win the NFC North – there’s no way this story misses Hollywood.

The Vikings’ offense struggled in the second half, but the damage was already done during the first half of the game.