Win Over Giants Launches Vikings Up Major Power Rankings

The Minnesota Vikings had quite the Week 1 showing against the New York Giants. Everything went right for Kevin O’Connell’s squad and people are taking notice. While Sam Darnold will have tougher tests in the coming weeks, the hype train has started to leave the station.

Minnesota Vikings leap into rare air after Week 1

It depends on what level of belief you had in Sam Darnold when considering the expectations for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. Anyone that assumed the veteran could resurrect his career with an ideal opportunity feels pretty good about Sunday. The Vikings dominated Brian Daboll’s New York Giants and Fox Sports’ Bucky Brooks took note. His first power rankings have Minnesota way up top.

“The Sam Darnold experiment is off to a great start, with the veteran thriving under Kevin O’Connell’s tutelage. In a 28-6 win over the Giants , the veteran completed 19 of 24 passes with a pair of touchdowns while connecting with eight different pass-catchers. With the offense clicking on all cylinders, defensive coordinator Brian Flores was able to throw a few haymakers to keep New York’s offense dazed and confused for most of the game. If the Vikings continue to play high-level complementary football with a resurgent quarterback leading the way, the “Purple People Eaters” could emerge as a surprise title contender in the NFC. “

Bucky Brooks on the Minnesota Vikings being his fifth best team after Week 1 (Fox Sports)

Oddsmakers pegged the Vikings for just 6.5 wins coming into the season. After the Week 1 victory over the Giants that number got just a single-digit boost . Brooks clearly is drinking the purple Kool Aid though. Despite the win coming against a bad Giants team, the analyst loved what he saw from Darnold.

Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 Throttling of Giants

Minnesota was near flawless on Sunday against the Giants. They came into the game as favorites though, and the bigger tests are still in front of them.

Minnesota Vikings can put the league on notice in Week 2

A Week 2 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers is where the Minnesota Vikings will truly make their mark as a team. Kyle Shanahan’s team comes in to U.S. Bank Stadium with Super Bowl aspirations. If Darnold can again look strong then the momentum will have officially been built. Brooks has San Francisco as his second best team.

“ The football world will soon find out if the 49ers can shake the Super Bowl hangover . After dealing with a series of contract disagreements with a handful of stars ( Christian McCaffrey , Trent Williams , and Brandon Aiyuk ), the team hopes to patch up any hurt feelings and resume its title chase under Kyle Shanahan. “

Bucky Brooks on the San Francisco 49ers (Fox Sports)

San Francisco kicks off their season against the New York Jets on Monday night. It is then that we will see Shanahan’s team for the first time in 2024. San Francisco was bested by Minnesota last year, and Darnold was rostered on that team.

Related: JJ McCarthy is Sam Darnold’s No. 1 Fan

The 49ers are a formidable challenge for Darnold. His poise in the pocket on Sunday could be the difference if he is able to carry it over to the next matchup. Conversely, an overreaction to a Minnesota loss against the Super Bowl runner up should be cautioned as well.

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