Vikings Territory: Vikings On Low End Of NFL For ESPN's ‘Future Power Rankings'

Press release from Vikings Territory:

July 22, 2021

Buoyancy on the outlook for the 2021 Minnesota Vikings, for the most part, is a local phenomenon.

Mike Zimmer explained

Zimmer’s excited; so are Minnesotans. Fans of the team that live outside of Minnesota are, too. Yet, that does not translate to a national enthusiasm – at least not in wholesale fashion.

Perhaps they simply don’t have faith in Kirk Cousins – that’s a popular sentiment inside and outside of the Vikings echo chamber.

For the Vikings, that’s the backside of the NFL. Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Cleveland Browns are set through 2023, but not the Vikings. Field Yates of ESPN elaborated on the Vikings at #19:

So, Yates is unconvinced that Cousins will find success this season, insinuating that he’ll be jettisoned elsewhere in favor of Kellen Mond – who will probably need time to blossom. Most young-and-raw passers don’t effectuate that inflorescence right away, sending the Vikings to the rear of the leaguewide forecast for NFL supremacy.

But that’s predicated on a commitment to Cousins beyond 2021 or 2022. That is nonexistent right now. In fact, the inverse strategy was enacted. The selection of Mond in the 2021 NFL Draft is a warning sign that Cousins must perform – or the team will waltz into the Mond era.

This press release was produced by Vikings Territory. The views expressed here are the author’s own.