NFC Playoff Picture Shines Positive Light on Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings currently sit at 6-5, after their loss on Sunday night to the Denver Broncos. Heading into week 12, that’s good for 7th in the NFC and the final wildcard spot come playoff time.

Minnesota Vikings upcoming schedule

The six games they have left make up one of the easiest schedules remaining in the NFL, with the Bears on Monday Night Football next week, before their bye. Then, the Vikes close out there 2023-24 season against the Raiders, a Joe Burrowless Bengals and the Packers sandwiched between two games against the Lions.

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And if Kevin O’Connell & Co can get back on the winning track quickly, and the Lions stumble those two games at the end of the season could decide the NFC North champion. But even if the Vikings don’t win the division, they are sitting pretty in the NFC playoff picture.

Teams “in the hunt” behind Vikings do not appear hungry

Their upcoming schedule is only part of the reason why the Minnesota Vikings still have a 74% chance of making the playoffs, according to PlayoffStatus.com. The other main factor is the caliber of teams chasing them for that 7th and final postseason spot.

The 6-5 Vikings currently sit 1.5 games ahead of the 4-6 Packers, Rams, Falcons and Bucs. They hold the tiebreaker over Green Bay and Atlanta. And let’s be real, nobody is worried about the Bucs. They’re only path into the postseason is finishing ahead of their NFC South rival Saints.

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Even after losing to a Denver team they should have beaten, Minnesota still sits in the driver’s seat of its season and controls its own playoff destiny. If they win out, the division and a home playoff game is still within their grasp.

But most likely, they get in as a Wildcard with 9-10 wins.