Minnesota is now just another one-or-two-loss team in a crowded pack, and the last-undefeated label has a grim Super Bowl track record.
The Minnesota Vikings are no longer undefeated, falling in Week 8 to become the latest team to hold and then lose the NFL's last-unbeaten status. This is the third time since 2000 the Vikings have carried that label, and the previous two times did not end well: in 2000 they were blown out 41-0 in the Conference Championship, and in 2016 they lost seven of their final ten games.
The numbers are not kind to teams in Minnesota's old position. Since 2000, "last undefeated" teams have reached the Super Bowl thirteen times but won it only once, with the 2006 Colts the lone champion. That works out to an 8% winning percentage in the title game, a stat that makes betting on these teams look like a losing habit.
With the loss, power rankings are shuffling. Denver is trending up after a comeback win, while Minnesota slides down after its first defeat of the year. The Vikings still sit among the top teams in the league, but they are no longer the clear measuring stick. They are just one of several one-or-two-loss contenders heading into the back half of the season, with plenty of time for the picture to change again.