Power Rankings Compilation, Week 4

I wonder how much power rankings take the coach into consideration? That would cost the Vikings at least 5+ points.

My pick for Week 4: 22. Regardless of how they got there, 1-3 ain't good.

USAToday.com says:

21. Preseason buzz of Vikes as Super Bowl contenders firmly on the back burner.

Yahoo.com's Michael Silver says:

19. Hey, Vikings fans – before we fire Brad Childress, how about we give him a chance to finish first in what suddenly looks like a very winnable division?

Yes, let's embrace mediocrity. I'd love to win the division at 9-7 and get crushed in the first round of the playoffs. That's what every team should aim for.

ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert says:

21. It doesn't get any easier this week at New Orleans on "Monday Night Football."

^^^ Insert ESPN plug here. ^^^

SportingNews.com's Vinnie Iyer says:

25. The unrelated Williamses, Pat and Kevin, are 628 pounds of run-stopping force. Likewise, Matt Birk and Steve Hutchinson deliver 622 pounds of push for Adrian Peterson. Now, they need more help from the big guys on the edges.

Remember kids, Pat Williams is only *snicker* 317 pounds.

Fox Sports' Adrian Hasenmayer says:

19. The defense has played much better than the final scores have indicated thus far, but the Vikings may lose an important piece this week in leading tackler E.J. Henderson. They'll need him as they gear up for their season's first shootout possibility against New Orleans.

SI.com's Dr. Z says:

20. MLB E.J. Henderson, a serious all-pro choice, limped off the field against the Titans. Frerotte couldn't finish the game...bad hand. Is it all falling apart for a team with such high hopes?

Covers.com's Ryan Stetson says:

25. Another QB shuffle would spell big trouble in Minnesota.

Honestly? I'd rather live without E.J. Henderson this week than without Gus Frerotte. And that's just messed up, when your 37-year-old backup QB is more valuable to your team than your stud MLB.

CBS Sportsline.com's Pete Prisco says:

24. Changing from Tarvaris Jackson to Gus Frerotte has produced a 1-1 record. We'll see how it is for the long run.

I don't know what this means. The team was 0-2 under Jackson (though you know how much I love win-loss records for quarterbacks, especially over the incredible sample size of two whole games). While not great, Frerotte has produced better numbers than Jackson in completion percentage, yards per attempt, yards per game, sack percentage, and passer rating. Really, what's your point here?

And you knew it had to come, with Washington beating Dallas, the stiffy that the media has for the NFC East is as large as ever, with the Giants taking over the #1 spot on most polls, if they weren't there already, and the Redskins vaulting all the way up to #2 in Adrian Hasenmayer's poll. He starts his entry with "They may not finish the season at No. 2." So why are they there now? Meanwhile, Ryan Stetson says "So what?" to last week and still ranks the 'Boys at #1. I'm not sure which is more mystifying.

(And on a side note, does anyone else think Jason Campbell is this year's David Garrard? Dude's got 6 TDs and no interceptions through four games. He's taking care of the ball and could finish with single-digit picks, which will endear him to the hearts of everyone who thinks that "managing the game" is the mark of a great quarterback. It's not. It's the mark of a mediocre quarterback who at least understands that he's not good enough to be a great quarterback. A player like that has value, yes, but I'd rather have a guy who can win the game than a guy who can just not lose it.)

Average ranking this week: 21.75. So I was close.