Despite a promising effort from Christian Ponder in his first NFL start the Vikings were unable to hold on to an early lead against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. That means the fall to 1-6 kept them near the bottom in this week's SB Nation NFL Power Rankings according to Joel Thorman. Thorman as the Vikings at No. 29 as we reach the midpoint of the season:
29. Minnesota Vikings (1-6, LW: 29): Hard to say a 1-6 team is promising but I like Christian Ponder and this team has weapons. They could be good down the road.
The Vikings are rated as the lowest team with a victory in the NFL, ahead of only the winless Rams, Colts, and Dolphins. There is some promise after they held an early lead against the defending champions on their home field, and running back Adrian Peterson continues to give them a chance in each game. Minnesota visits the No. 26 Carolina Panthers this week.