NFL Power Rankings: NFC North after preseason Week 2

1. Minnesota Vikings - 83

The Vikings are a tough team to figure out, because going 13-4 last season almost happened by accident. They won 11 games by one score or less, setting an NFL record. 99 out of 100 times, if a team had those same opportunities, it would win less than that number. The odds are simply too absurd for that type of success to be sustainable.

Minnesota tried turning over their defense this offseason, which like the Lions, was bad in 2022. Assuming they see even a little improvement, the Vikings should still wind up leading the pack, here. Offensively, it doesn't get much better than being able to throw the ball to Justin Jefferson. But, having other weapons like T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison certainly doesn't hurt either.

The big question now is whether or not Alexander Mattison can carry the weight of being the workhorse tail back now that Dalvin Cook is gone. We've seen good things from Mattison when he's been given the opportunity, and teams will still have to highly respect the Vikings' passing attack. So, let's assume Minnesota can still run the ball in a decent fashion. Right now, they're still the best team in the division.

But, all of this could change on a moment's notice.