Going into week 18 of the National Football League season, everyone across the media is coming around to the Minnesota Vikings being a real Super Bowl contender.

Gone are the days of Sam Darnold being a flash in the pan or someone who won't produce. He's coming off of a career day where he threw for a career-high 377 yards on another career high with 33 completions against a very good Green Bay Packers defense

They have proven week after week that their Super Bowl aspirations are not a dream, they are legitimate and the media is starting to come around.

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Minnesota Vikings Week 18 NFL Power Rankings

ESPN's NFL Nation

Last week: 5
This week: 4

Biggest offseason contract situation to watch: Quarterback Sam Darnold

When the season began, no one thought the cost to sign Darnold for 2025 would be an issue for the Vikings. The team signed him to a one-year, $10 million contract to serve as a temporary starter this season until whichever rookie Minnesota drafted was ready to play. But after J.J. McCarthy's season-ending knee injury, Darnold has played so well — he ranks fourth in the NFL with 4,153 passing yards and fifth with 35 touchdown passes — that the Vikings are now open-minded about bringing him back for 2025, sources told ESPN. The simplest and most probable route is the franchise tag, which is likely to be worth about $40 million. — Kevin Seifert

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Yahoo! Sports' Frank Schwab

Last week: 5
This week: 5

If the Vikings win at the Lions in Week 18, do they take over as the Super Bowl favorite? They’d be two home wins from a Super Bowl, and the AFC bracket is probably harder to navigate than the NFC. Either way, this is probably the most underappreciated 14-win team in NFL history.

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NFL.com's Eric Edholm

Last week: 5
This week: 4

Every week for at least the past month, I've been itching to move the Vikings up in the rankings, but there just hasn't been a proper opportunity. Perhaps I'm forcing things a bit, using the Eagles' slightly questionable QB health as a reason to drop them, but let the record show that these Vikes absolutely deserve their flowers — and for a few minutes Monday night, I almost pulled the trigger and vaulted them over Detroit. Minnesota has proven itself now. What a raucous postgame scene it was in the locker room after the dramatic victory over the Packers on Sunday, with Sam Darnold being showered by his teammates for a brilliant season, even though Darnold played a little fast and loose in the final few minutes, opening the door slightly for Green Bay. No matter — the Vikings thoroughly outplayed the Packers for most of that game, and now it sets up one of the most dramatic Week 18 showdowns imaginable in Detroit. The stakes are massive, and the Vikings have earned their place on that vaunted stage.

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CBS Sports' Pete Prisco

Last week: 4
This week: 4

They continue to keep on winning. If they beat the Lions this week, they have the top seed in the NFC playoffs. That would be a heck of a season.

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USA Today's Nate Davis

Last week: 5
This week: 4

Give this team the respect that it's due. Give QB Sam Darnold the respect that he's due. Recognize their more than reasonable chance to pull that No. 1 seed out from under the Lions at the 11th hour and what a tough venue U.S. Bank Stadium has become. Could this be the year they finally break through for their first Lombardi Trophy?

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The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer

Last week: 4
This week: 4

The Vikings are sizzling after nine straight victories, with their offense and defense adding up to dominant football. They just need to cut down on mistakes that make games a little too close.

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Bleacher Report's NFL Staff

Last week: 4
This week: 4

If you're waiting for the Cinderella story that is Sam Darnold's career reemergence to turn into a pumpkin, it's time to give it up. With the Vikings vying for the NFC's No. 1 seed, Darnold established a new career-high with 377 passing yards. Another outstanding Darnold performance has become commonplace. During Sunday's contest, Jalen Nailor emerged as more of a threat than he's been all season. The third-year wide receiver helped Minnesota's passing offense click, with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison off to slow starts. Nailor set a season-high with 81 receiving yards. Minnesota's offense has answers to pretty much every problem. — Brent Sobleski

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Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr

Last week: 4
This week: 4

A switch to a man-heavy defense against the Packers threw a massive wrench into Green Bay’s plans offensively. It led to an enjoyable game I like to call: Pause Game Pass during Vikings games just before the QB is about to throw and see if there’s anyone open. Outside of a well-timed screen call from Matt LaFleur, the answer for the better part of a decisive first half was no. The Vikings just play so soundly, and even when playing crossers where defenders have to switch, there’s no hiccups. 

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The Ringer's Diante Lee

Last week: 6
This week: 4

Whatever you believed about Darnold before the 2024 season, it was probably all true. He was a mess in the pocket, he was a turnover machine, and his accuracy varied from week to week—and sometimes throw to throw. Now, though, with one game standing between his Vikings and the top seed in the NFC, we have to acknowledge that Darnold has been a different player this season. In Sunday’s win over the Packers, he made throws that came deep in his passing progression and against several coverage looks. I don’t know what he and this offense will look like under the bright lights of the postseason, but I don’t have any doubt that Darnold will rise to the occasion.

(Yes, I understand how wild that sentence sounds.)

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Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio

Last week: 3
This week: 3

This is the best and most balanced team the Vikings have had since the days of Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman, and the Purple People Eaters. And this might be the year they finally do what the Vikings of the ‘70s couldn’t.

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The Athletic's Josh Kendall

Last week: 5
This week: 2

What’s next?: Deciding on a quarterback

Yes, the Vikings still have plenty to play for this season, but their long-term prospects are just as important and that means picking the right quarterback — the suddenly super Sam Darnold or rookie J.J. McCarthy, who was drafted 10th in April to be the future but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason. Darnold has been so good (third in passing yards, 4,153, and fifth in passer rating, 106.4), that it’s going to be tough to let him walk, but where does that leave McCarthy?

Vikings need to make one roster move to fortify their future and Kevin O’Connell hinted at it on Monday

It’s a very smart decision for now and the future