So, How Many More Games Will These Vikings Win?

So, How Many More Games Will These Vikings Win?
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

So, How Many More Games Will These Vikings Win?

Back in the middle of August, when the 2022 NFL season was set to get underway, I suggested the Minnesota Vikings would go 12-5 on the season. Now with just four games left and that entirely a possible result, what will the final win total actually be?

To date, only one team in the NFL has won 12 games through the first 14 weeks. Nick Sirianni’s Philadelphia Eagles blitzed Minnesota early in 2022, and they’ve continued to fly high behind the masterful performance of Jalen Hurts all the way through. Well-positioned to take the number one seed in the NFC playoffs, the Eagles will be a tough out.

How Many More Games Will These Vikings Win?
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

So, How Many More Games Will These Vikings Win?

While the Vikings may not reach the same lofty heights as the Eagles, they have already surpassed the over on their win total and can check in with a tally very few saw coming. So, what to make of what’s left?

Wins (3): Indianapolis (Wk15), New York (Wk16), Chicago (Wk18)

There’s no denying that the Colts are an absolute trainwreck right now. The Vikings host Jeff Saturday’s team as 4-point favorites this weekend, and the only surprise is that the line isn’t higher. Matt Ryan is back under center, and while Jonathan Taylor remains supremely talented, they have little else of note.

The Giants game has looked different as the year has gone on. From the outset, that was seen as a presumed win, but New York started incredibly hot. After beginning the season 6-1, they have gone 1-4-1 since. Daniel Jones hasn’t been as good, and Saquon Barkley is now dealing with a nagging injury. Combine all that with it being a Christmas Eve home game for Minnesota, and you can jingle that one all the way to the bank.

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Although Soldier Field has consistently been a problem for Minnesota, and Justin Fields looks to have taken substantial steps forward, that game should mean nothing to the bears. Maybe they play spoiler on playoff positioning, but they’ll also be focused on their own draft pick. Justin Jefferson could be aiming for Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving record in that contest, and there’s no way he wants to come up short.

Coin Flips (1): Green Bay (Wk17)

Maybe this is too nice of an assessment of the Packers. Green Bay is not good. They are bad and potentially very bad. Aaron Rodgers has flopped, their wideouts look cooked, and if it weren’t for the emergence of Christian Watson, there’d be nothing of note here. Green Bay added to their defense, but it hasn’t been good, and no matter what this game means to Minnesota, winning out against the Packers in a season is a great feeling.

Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports.

Of course, anything could happen with this being at Lambeau Field and potential weather implications. Rodgers still possesses extreme ability, and against this Minnesota defense, he could go off at any time. I’d still lean toward the Vikings emerging victorious, but it’s certainly not a given.

Adding them all up puts Minnesota staring at a 13- or 14-win season. That’s quite the turnaround from a sub-.500 record at 8-9 last season. Kevin O’Connell has done well in year one, and building on that in the playoffs will be a must.

Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.

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