Vikings Get Into the Top 5 of the ESPN Power Rankings Ahead of Week 7

The Minnesota Vikings are now ready to begin preparations for Week 7 as they take on the Indianapolis Colts, as the Vikings hope to stay undefeated.

With Week 6 concluded, the NFL Nation staff at ESPN has released their power rankings heading into Week 7, and as a result of what happened, as well as the solid start to the season, Minnesota was ranked No. 4, meaning they were able to enter the top five in the ESPN rankings.

In the power rankings ahead of Week 7, ESPN not only ranked each team, but also talked about the offensive issues for each team among other topics.

Focusing on the offensive issues, the experts at ESPN listed the biggest offensive issue for the Vikings as injuries across the board, which is very true when considering players who have missed time.

On that note, ESPN listed the players who have missed at least one game for the Vikings on offense, and that list includes quarterback Kyler Murray (concussion), wide receivers Justin Jefferson (ankle) and Jordan Addison (hamstring), offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw (concussion), guard Donovan Jackson (knee), and tight ends T.J. Hockenson (concussion) and Josh Oliver (biceps).

When looking at this list of injuries on offense it is clear that the Vikings have had to battle health which is part of the reason why this team has struggled on the offensive end so far, but after some positive signs in Week 5 before the bye it is possible that this offense could be ready to take off under head coach Kevin O'Connell.

Diving deeper into the injuries, Murray, Jefferson, Addison, Darrisaw, and Hockenson are all in a good position moving forward and are expected to play in Week 7, while Jackson is for sure out for the season, and Oliver is also likely out for the remainder of this year.

While it is not great to lose solid players like Jackson and Oliver, the Vikings do have to figure out a way to progress forward, and so far, Minnesota has done just that during the 5-0 start.

So far, the offense has not played close to the potential that it has, but after a bye week against a team like the Colts that is struggling could be the perfect time for this offense to get going and truly elevate the Vikings into a team that can win the NFC North and maybe even compete to win the NFC.

The reason that could be the case is simply that the defense led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores and the special teams led by kicker Will Reichard have been amazing, and if the offense gets going, the ceiling for this team could be very high.

So, as the Vikings head into Week 7, it will be interesting to see if the offense can click on all cylinders and complement the defense and special teams, because if the offense is able to play well, this Week 7 matchup against the Colts could be the start of where Minnesota becomes one of the more well-rounded teams in the entire NFL.