The Minnesota Vikings can no longer be ignored as a legitimate contender on the rise. A surefire catastrophe after J.J. McCarthy’s season-ending injury has suddenly shifted to a wildly unexpected success story for veteran quarterback Sam Darnold.
After stunning the San Francisco 49ers, the Vikings blew out the Houston Texans in a 34-7 victory last Sunday. They made star quarterback C.J. Stroud look human, and they completely torched a loaded Texans defense.
Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs barely kept their unbeaten record intact after another close call against the Atlanta Falcons, while the Buffalo Bills bulldozed over the Miami Dolphins.
Here are the power rankings heading into Week 4: