NFL power rankings, Week 13: Vikings drop 2 spots to No. 17

The Minnesota Vikings started fast, but have quickly mellowed out, with a 6-5 record and a big loss to the division rival Chicago Bears on Sunday. Still, few expected them to sport a winning record at this point in the season, though they have some tough games remaining on the schedule. They still play the Green Bay Packers twice, the Bears again, the Houston Texans and the St. Louis Rams.

Joel Thorman of SB Nation released his Week 13 NFL power rankings, and he has the Vikings dropping two spots after the 28-3 loss to the Bears on Sunday:

17. Minnesota Vikings (LW: 15, 6-5): Why did the Vikings start so hot? Because they didn't have to play the Bears or Packers until late November.

This puts the Vikings in the bottom half of the NFL, with teams like the Washington Redskins (5-6), Seattle Seahawks (6-5), and New Orleans Saints (5-6) immediately above them. Division rivals Green Bay and Chicago take up spots No. 9 and No. 7, respectively.

As Thorman notes, the Vikings' schedule early in the season could have played a big part in their record, but it's worth noting they did pick up a win over the San Francisco 49ers, so it wasn't all easy. Christian Ponder has simply regressed at this point in the season, and if he doesn't make some kind of comeback, the Vikings likely won't either.