NFL Week 13 Power Rankings

No. 16 (down 4 spots): Frank Schwab – Yahoo! Sports

Dalvin Cook … hasn’t been ruled out for the rest of the season, but you have to assume he’s only going to return if the Vikings are still in the playoff race when he’s healthy. Even then it doesn’t seem like a sure thing.

No. 20 (down 4 spots): Pete Prisco – CBS Sports

When Kirk Cousins needed to make plays against the 49ers, he couldn’t make them. Now they can’t afford anymore losses.

No. 16 (down 1 spot): NFL Staff – Bleacher Report

You had to know that the Minnesota Vikings would be involved in a close game in Week 12. Only one of their 11 games this season has been decided by double digits.

Unfortunately, as has been the case so many times in 2021, the Vikings came up just short, dropping back below .500 after allowing over 200 yards on the ground. That inability to stop the run was a killer in the opinion of Minnesota linebacker Eric Kendricks.

“They came with it,” Kendricks told reporters afterward. “We knew that their run game was really good. Very complex, very confusing. They have a lot of people to block and open up for it. It was about eliminating that, and we didn’t do it.”

Thanks to a week in which the Vikings weren’t the only fringe contender to take a loss, Minnesota is tied with Washington for the final playoff spot, although if the season ended today Minnesota would be watching the postseason from home.

But in addition to getting knocked from the postseason (albeit barely), the defeat could prove to be doubly costly. Star running back Dalvin Cook suffered a shoulder injury against San Francisco that leaves his status moving forward in doubt.