The Minnesota Vikings are guaranteed a losing record and have a tough schedule ahead. It's open for interpretation as to whether or not the next game against the Denver Broncos is one of those tough games, and that largely depends on how you view quarterback Tim Tebow, but it is what it is. Minnesota is coming off a loss to the Atlanta Falcons and rookie quarterback Christian Ponder has started to struggle of late. As such, the team is dropping in power rankings.
Fox Sports drops the Vikings one spot in their Week 13 NFL power rankings:
27. Percy Harvin single-handedly kept the Vikings alive against the Falcons on Sunday, but they can't rely on that every weekend. Rookie QB Christian Ponder has shown promise, but he just isn't ready to shoulder the entire franchise without the help of star RB Adrian Peterson. It will be interesting to see how Jared Allen handles Tim Tebow and the Broncos' option offense on Sunday.
Billick makes a good point - Ponder needs Peterson to get by, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. They don't have him available right now, so the team is struggling more. That being said, Allen and Tebow is a really interesting matchup, though it will largely change little in next week's rankings.