While the Minnesota Vikings took a breath during their Week 6 bye, the northern footprint of professional football continued its strong start to 2026.
The four NFC North and four AFC North teams are all above .500 entering Week 7. Of the 24 franchises residing outside the two divisions, only eight currently hold a record above .500.
In the NFC North specifically, non-divisional opponents are being dispatched at an astonishing 13-3 clip (.813), with the AFC North right behind in the same category at 12-5 (.706). This puts the "Black and Blue Division" on pace to match a level of divisional dominance seen only twice since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, per NFL Media Research. The other two instances? You guessed it: the 2023 AFC North and last year's NFC North, when all four teams in those divisions finished those campaigns with winning records.
The Vikings (5-0) return to action Sunday against Indianapolis (2-4) knowing that the bar has been raised higher.
Despite not playing a single snap this past weekend, Minnesota was able to climb the ladder in this week's power rankings, with its biggest jump being six spots. Here's a look at where the Vikings landed heading into Week 7:
No. 4 (up 3 spots): Nick Shook – NFL.com
The Vikings jump up as a result of movement around them while they were on a bye. Their defense is elite and on a path toward claiming a place in history. Their offense started to figure things out before the week off, setting up a very interesting month ahead.
No. 3 (no change): Gary Davenport – Bleacher Report
There isn't a more surprising team in the NFL this year (at least in a positive way) than the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.
Naysayers will point to a relatively easy schedule and offensive inconsistency as reasons why they aren't as good their record. But Minnesota's ultra-aggressive defense is legit: second in yards allowed, third against the pass, fifth against the run and first in points allowed.
Edge-rusher Andrew Van Ginkel told reporters the defense's strength lies in its versatility.
"Things are constantly changing," he said. "It could be changing game to game. It could be changing from series to series. It could be changing from play to play. It could be changing within the play."
That defense is going to be tested coming up — after facing the struggling Colts at home in Week 7, the Vikings take on two of the league's best offenses in the Lions and Bills.
No. 3 (no change): Pete Prisco – CBS Sports
[The Vikings] come off their bye as one of three teams without a loss. They do need to juice up the offense some in the coming weeks.
No. 3 (up 6 spots): Nate Davis – USA Today
Coming out of their bye week, [the Vikings] face the Colts. After that, the tests come fast and furious — the undefeated Vikes [are] set to face [four] opponents all currently above .500.
No. 4 (no change): Josh Kendall and Chad Graff – The Athletic
The folks who were nervous about [Justin] Jefferson in an uncertain offensive environment have been proven right so far. He is 16th among wide receivers in scoring.
No. 7 (no change): Conor Orr – Sports Illustrated
When [Defensive Coordinator] Brian Flores is on a bye, a quiet calm settles over the NFL landscape. One (very) unlucky individual — in this case, [Colts Head Coach] Shane Steichen — gets him after an extra week of preparation. Maybe it can get worse for the Colts.
No. 3 (up 1 spot): Vinnie Iyer – Sporting News
The Vikings defense has been the foundation of their undefeated start through their Week 6 bye. They have impressive pressure and takeaway stats in Brian Flores' aggressive, blitz-happy attack, but there's one simple number for why they haven't lost. Their defense allows opponents to convert only a league-best 22 percent of third-down attempts.
No. 5 (up 2 spots): Frank Schwab – Yahoo! Sports
Jordan Mason's return from a broken thumb, which should happen in Week 7, won't create big headlines, but it's important for the Vikings. Aaron Jones, Sr., filled in well, but he's 31 years old, and asking him to handle almost all of the running back duties was not a long-term plan. Mason and Jones form a good committee, and they can resume their roles. The Vikings face the reeling Colts this weekend before a four-game stretch that will define their season: at Lions, vs. Bills, at Packers, vs. 49ers (in Mexico City). If they beat the Colts and go 2-2 in the four games that follow, they'll be in great shape.
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