NFC North Power Rankings after Week 1

3. Minnesota Vikings

After a 13-4 season which saw the Minnesota Vikings win the division, one would have thought they'd come out swinging against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that, quite frankly, they should have beaten. But, the Vikings were their own worst enemy on this day and continued to allow the Bucs to hang around and keep it close.

Kirk Cousins may have finished with 344 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw an interception and lost two fumbles. It was the turnover battle that lost this game for the Vikings. Tampa Bay did not turn the ball over once, as Baker Mayfield played a pretty clean game. Meanwhile, the Vikings tallied three.

As the Vikings stumbled out to an 0-1 start after losing 20-17 to the Bucs, one also has to wonder about the Dalvin Cook effect. Minnesota ran the ball just 17 times compared to 44 passes, and again, it was a close game throughout. Alexander Mattison couldn't get much going, but he also wasn't given an opportunity to get into rhythm, either.

This will go down as a game which the Vikings should have won, handedly, as they outgained the Bucs 369 to 242. But again, Minnesota failed to play a clean football game and thus dropped their opener at home, checking in at no. 3 on our power rankings.