Clearly operating under the assumption that Brett Favre is going to return, and I think it's safe to say we all believe that will happen, the Vikings are ranked third in ESPN's latest NFL power rankings.
Only the Indianapolis Colts (No. 1) and defending champion New Orleans Saints are ahead of the Vikings. The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens round out the top five. As for the Vikings' rivals from the NFC North: the Green Bay Packers are ranked sixth, the Chicago Bears are 21st and the Detroit Lions are 29th.
