Christian Peterson has been writing about the NFL - specifically, fantasy football - for the last 7 years. He currently serves as the Operations Manager LeagueSafe.com and is in his 3rd season co-hosting the Fantasy Football Weekly radio show on KFAN-1130 AM on Saturday mornings during the football season. His work has appeared online and in print for various media outlets, including Fanball.com, FantasyVictory.com, ESPN.com, AOL.com, and Yahoo.com.
If you publish a website that has anything to do with the NFL, it appears to be an unwritten rule that Thou Shalt Publish Power Rankings. Everybody’s doing it, and it doesn’t seem as if anyone really knows why. What, exactly, do “Power Rankings” mean? Most media outlets don’t bother to define the criteria they’re using to rank each team from 1 to 32, and as far as I can tell they exist solely to generate debate around office water coolers and in fan chat rooms. But despite their relative uselessness, debating the pros and cons of our favorite football team – and the obvious weaknesses of every other team – is what being a fan is all about.
With that in mind, I’ll be publishing a weekly summary of the most visible Power Rankings from around the internet, highlighting the rank given to our Vikings, the commentary provided by the publishing website and a bit of (generally meaningless, but perhaps entertaining) analysis of my own. So, if you feel the need to vent about the sheer lunacy of a certain website ranking the Packers ahead of the Vikings, now is the time, and this is the place.
Our 1st Rankings Roundup focuses on the preseason Power Rankings generated by a series of sites hand-picked by yours truly. If I’ve missed any rankings that you routinely check or would like to see in the weekly update, post a reply and let me know. We’ll keep our focus on larger media outlets (as opposed to Crazy Uncle Bob’s Vikings Mania Blog), but I’m open to suggestions.
Star Tribune
Vikings Rank: # 4, behind San Diego, Baltimore and Indianapolis
Mark Craig Comment: “Barring an outbreak of injuries or 
Analysis: Can’t disagree with that assessment. Craig is apparently big on AFC teams, and doesn’t believe the Saints (# 6) can repeat.
ESPN
Vikings Rank: # 3, behind Indianapolis and New Orleans.
ESPN Comment: “Brett Favre is waiting for a 2-hour TV special to announce his return.”
Analysis: Obviously, these were published prior to Favre’s return. ESPN didn’t exactly go out on a ledge ranking last year’s Super Bowl participants #1 and #2.
CBS Sports
Vikings Rank: #6
CBS Sports Comment: “It's too bad they have to go through the selfish Brett Favre dance again. Make a decision. Your teammates need to know. This ranking is with Favre. Without him, they drop down.”
Analysis: These were last updated in May, but CBS is apparently down on the Vikings despite Favre’s return. The Vikings rank merely 4th in the NFC, behind the Saints, Packers and Cowboys.
Fox Sports
Vikings Rank: #3, behind Indianapolis and New Orleans.
Fox Sports Comment: “You can make the case that the Vikings should have been the NFC champs, if not for a beaten-down brainfart by the King of Wranglers in New Orleans. Still, the Vikings are as close to a complete team in the business.”
Analysis: Not exactly breaking news that the Vikings shot themselves in the foot in the NFC title game. But, based on that comment, why not just rank us ahead of the Saints?
Sports Illustrated’s Don Banks
Vikings Rank: # 7
Don Banks’s Comment: “Brad Childress's team has improved by 2 wins in each of the past 3 seasons, but that's an impressive trend that's about to end. The Vikings with Brett Favre back under center will again be capable of beating anyone. But I detect the balance of power in the NFC North shifting east toward Green Bay.”
Analysis: C’mon, man! # 7? At least Banks takes a stand on a few teams, with the Jets at # 1 and Green Bay at #5.
Sports Illustrated’s Peter King
Vikings Rank: #13
Peter King’s Comment: “Whether old What's His Name comes back or not will determine Minnesota's fate. Brett Favre or no Brett Favre, the Vikings have an offensive line in decline.”
Analysis: King is renowned for making horrible preseason Super Bowl picks, so the fact that he tabbed the Packers as this year’s champ is actually a good thing. Granted, these rankings came out in May, but I’m a little confused by the comment… will Favre’s return determine our fate? Or does it not matter because of an offensive line featuring the same 5 starters from last year – including 2 young players now with a year of experience under their belts – that’s evidently in decline?
Sporting News
Vikings Rank: # 5
Sporting News Comment: “Potential headache: The offensive line might not be good enough to keep Brett Favre from getting battered.”
Analysis: More offensive line concerns. Most remember the cheapshots… err, beating… Favre took at the hands of the Saints in the NFC title game, but the line allowed just 34 sacks in the regular season – right at the league average.
Pro Football Weekly: No rankings until regular season begins.
Football Outsiders: No rankings until regular season begins.
