The Minnesota Vikings have had a tough season, suffering through injuries and a transition to a rookie quarterback, and they're not anywhere near the playoff race. With two weeks to go, it's all about personnel evaluation and seeing how Christian Ponder handles himself, above all else. They're coming off a bad loss to the New Orleans Saints, but they weren't expected to pull out a win, regardless. They kept it close at the beginning, but Drew Brees continued his dominance this season with five touchdowns.
Fox Sports holds them in place in their Week 16 NFL power rankings:
28. It's never a good thing when your second-string running back leads your team in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdowns in a game.
At this point, only the Jaguars, Buccaneers, Rams and Colts are lower on the list. Minnesota still has a shot for the first overall pick come draft time, especially with the previously win-less Indianapolis Colts beating the Titans on Sunday. It will be very interesting to see how the last two weeks play out.