The Vikings (4-1) are on a three-game win streak and sit atop the NFC North.
Despite the strong start, experts are split on whether to move the team up or down this week.
Here's a look at where the Vikings rank heading into Week 6:
No. 7 (up 2 spots): Dan Hanzus – NFL.com
You can flip the calendar and reboot the coaching staff, but some things will never change with a Kirk Cousins-led offense. Take Sunday, for instance: Cousins completed his first 17 passes against the Bears, leading the Vikings to touchdowns on their first three possessions while building a 21-3 lead. The blowout was on! Until it wasn't. The offense went cold, and Minnesota allowed Chicago to crawl back in the game and even take the lead in the fourth quarter. Then Cousins and Co. regrouped to score the go-ahead touchdown in an eventual 29-22 win, but the hot-and-cold nature of the Vikings attack remains mystifying.
"I'm not where I was at the end of last season in that old system," Cousins said, "but we're developing it and we're getting there and I'm excited about that continued growth."
No. 8 (down 1 spot): NFL Staff – Bleacher Report
The Minnesota Vikings look like the best team in the NFC North.
No, really.
They made things harder than they needed to be at home against the Bears. After racing out to a 21-3 lead, Minnesota allowed Chicago to peel off 19 unanswered points and briefly take the lead. But thanks to an efficient outing from quarterback Kirk Cousins and big games from running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the Vikes were able to outlast the Bears and claim sole possession of first place in the division.
"The Vikings have gone through Round 1 against their division rivals, and they have a 3-0 record within the NFC North. With an early advantage over those teams and a 4-1 record, they belong in the top 10," Maurice Moton added. "With that said, the Vikings have allowed average to below-average teams to hang around late in games. In Week 5, they fell behind the Bears 22-21 with 9:26 left in regulation. At the 2:26 mark, Cousins scored on a 1-yard run. Other than a dominant 23-7 Week 1 victory over the Packers, Minnesota has squeaked by in its wins, though in fairness, teams typically battle close with division rivals."
No. 8 (no change): Vinnie Iyer – Sporting News
The Vikings don't get a lot of style points as they tend to win some games ugly, either offensively or defensively. Their early résumé, however, of having only lost to the undefeated Eagles, is still impressive with Kevin O'Connell's processes leading to strong first-place results.
No. 5 (up 2 spots): Pete Prisco – CBS Sports
They are 4-1, but they sure made it interesting against the Bears. The defense has to be better as they head to Miami.
No. 12 (down 2 spots): Conor Orr – Sports Illustrated
The Vikings have the third-best play success rate in the NFL behind the Bills and the Chiefs. Is that good? We should stop making fun of every team who hires Sean McVay's friends. It seems to be working.
No. 11 (up 3 spots): Mike Florio – Pro Football Talk
This feels like a house of cards that could be knocked down with the gust from one solid SKOL clap.
No. 7 (down 1 spot): Nate Davis – USA TODAY Sports
If WR Justin Jefferson has one more 150-yard receiving day this year, he'll have the most of any player (7) in his first three seasons. Ever. It's been mostly feast but some famine for Jefferson this year, who's on pace for a league-best 1,860 yards.
No. 9 (up 2 spots): Frank Schwab – Yahoo! Sports
It would be nice to see the Vikings play four full quarters. They got by the Lions and Bears at home with a couple of nice late escapes, but that's not the sign of a dominant team. The Vikings are 4-1 but there's some work to do. The good news is those wins, and their lead over the Packers in the division, aren't going anywhere. They just need to play better to hang onto that lead.
