Vikings Inch Closer to Playoffs after Sunday Games
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings did their part — sort of — to creep up the NFC playoff standings, knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14 by a score of 34-26. Minnesota flogged Pittsburgh early in the contest, jumping to a 29-0 lead before nearly squandering it. But the Vikings held on in the end.
Heading into the weekend’s slate of games, the Vikings could’ve benefitted from losses by the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Football Team.
One of those two outcomes occurred.
The Dallas Cowboys outlasted Washington 27-20 after a sloppy showing by quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Taylor Heinicke. Thanks to Dallas, the Vikings stole Washington’s spot in the NFC playoff race, obtaining the eighth seed for at least a week.
Sunday had the potential to be even better for Minnestoa when the Cincinnati Bengals took a stab at a comeback over the 49ers. The Bengals were close, but San Francisco escaped with a road overtime victory. If the Bengals would’ve upended the 49ers, the Vikings pathway to the seventh seed by Sunday evening was a lock. Yet, the 49ers left Ohio with a win, 26-23.
Per FiveThirtyEight.com, Minnesota now holds a 33% probability to reach the playoffs. The New York Times playoff predictor is less optimistic, assigning the Vikings 30% odds. So, Mike Zimmer’s team is a longshot for mid-January action.
On the other hand, if Minnesota downs the Chicago Bears on the road during Monday Night Football in Week 15, the Vikings probability climbs to 50% — a coinflip. Minnesota “controls its destiny” in that regard. The simplest way to evaluate Minnesota’s playoff chances in the next month is this: The Vikings must win three of the next four games, and they should be in good shape.
Otherwise, Zimmer’s bunch needs a full meltdown by Philadelphia and Washington — like losing every game — if it plans to lose two of the last four games.
All in all, it was an advantageous week for Minnesota. The Steelers last-minute push wasn’t deadly enough to result in catastrophe, while the Cowboys helped the purple and gold by thwarting Washington. Now, the Vikings monitor the injury report to determine if Adam Thielen, Christian Darrisaw, and Everson Griffen will be ready for Monday Night Football. They’ll need all the help they can get because kooky happenings always transpire at Soldier Field when the two teams meet.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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