20. Minnesota Vikings
Vikings were on a bye week in Week 6
The bye week being so early in the season is usually a major inconvenience, but for the Minnesota Vikings, it probably couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. The Vikings spent two weeks overseas with games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, and they’ve got to feel pretty good about coming away 1-1 with backup Carson Wentz starting both games.
The impact of head coach Kevin O’Connell cannot be overstated for the Vikings and the way he’s managed his roster over the past few years makes him worth his weight in gold (and then some). This team is going to be a problem all year thanks to O’Connell, and maybe no thanks to injuries and offensive personnel.
The Vikings are missing a number of key starters, and they’ll come out of the bye week playing the Eagles on extended rest. That will be a major test.
19. Atlanta Falcons
Falcons play Monday night vs. Bills
Coming off of a Week 5 bye, the Atlanta Falcons have a really good opportunity before them with a home game against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night. At this point, though, it’s kind of impossible to figure out “what” this Falcons team is.
They beat the Jayden Daniels-less Washington Commanders in Week 4, but they got shut out by the Panthers in Week 3. They absolutely dominated the JJ McCarthy-led Vikings in Week 2, but the defense has struggled to atone for the offense’s inconsistency so far.
What we saw most recently from the Falcons was great balance offensively and getting a lot of different guys involved in the offense. If they can keep that up and keep Bijan Robinson hot, they’re going to be tough to beat. And Michael Penix Jr.’s job is a lot easier.