Ranking the Vikings Would-Be Playoff Opponents in Round 1
Assuming the Minnesota Vikings don’t magically grab the NFC’s No. 1 seed — the Philadelphia Eagles would need to lose two more games while the Vikings won two — they’ll host at least one playoff game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
And based on current playoff position jostling, Minnesota will play one of five teams on the weekend of January 14th.
Ranking the Vikings Would-Be Playoff Opponents in Round 1
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These are the five teams ranked in order of “who the Vikings would like to face most.” No. 1 is the most favorable matchup for Minnesota. No. 5 is the “worst” in terms of the Vikings win likelihood. It can be “hardest to easiest” if the simplifies.
5. Green Bay Packers
Listen, you’re a sadist if you want the Vikings to take on the Packers in Round 1 of the postseason. There is no good reason to desire this. If Green Bay wiggles into the No. 7 seed, it will have meant the Packers won five straight games to carve a path to playoffs. Vikings fans should not want to face any team on that fateful-feeling win streak.
The Vikings have also toppled the Packers twice consecutively at U.S. Bank Stadium. Green Bay is [unfortunately] due to settle the score, especially with Aaron Rodgers in charge.
Minnesota should just pretend this weekend is a playoff game and [virtually] eliminate Green Bay before the real playoffs begin. It’d make life easier.
Plus, if the Packers travel to the Twin Cities in the playoffs, they will likely be the only team favored to beat the Vikings.
4. New York Giants
The Vikings shouldn’t have grave grievances with potentially facing the Giants to start the postseason. But here’s the deal. Minnesota just defeated New York — by a whisker — last weekend. It isn’t easy to beat a team twice in three weeks in the same building.
The Giants already proved — emphatically — that they can hang with Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings. Perhaps Minnesota should just “let” the Giants be matched up with the San Francisco 49ers, who will likely dispatch New York from the postseason in a hurry.
Daniel Jones’ Giants aren’t as “scary” as the Packers, but they do have ample and recent game footage of the Vikings after Christmas Eve.
3. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle is a longshot to reach the postseason. It needs to beat the Jets and Rams in the next two weeks while cheering for one Packers loss and one Commanders loss. Still, it could happen.
Ed Donatell’s defense doesn’t fare well against mobile quarterbacks, and Geno Smith can bounce around better than most. Regardless, the Seahawks aren’t a terrible matchup for the Vikings, owning the NFL’s seventh-worst defense per DVOA.
No playoff game will be simple and straightforward, but the Seahawks aren’t as spooky as the Packers or Giants.
2. Detroit Lions
These dudes are the Vikings little brothers, and given the chance, Minnesota would tuck them in for bed during the Wildcard Round. The Vikings have the added motivation of losing to Detroit a couple of weeks ago, and generally speaking, the Lions rarely defeat the Vikings twice in a row.
The Lions offense can be explosive, but the Vikings know the Lions. They’re a textbook team who would be happy “just getting in” the playoffs, as such an achievement would represent a neat building block for the scrappy Dan Campbell.
You shouldn’t fear the Lions one iota.
1. Washington Commanders
This team doesn’t even know the identity of its QB1, with a possible playoff berth two weeks away. For the Vikings preference — yes, please.
Minnesota could’ve beaten Washington by 14 or so points back in Week 9, but a referee ensured that wouldn’t happen by running into safety Camryn Bynum.
The Commanders offense ranks 28th leaguewide per offensive DVOA, and that bunch would be a breath-of-fresh-air matchup for the Vikings in the playoffs. And it wouldn’t matter if Taylor Heinicke or Carson Wentz was at the helm.
Washington is the best would-be matchup for the Vikings to kick off the postseason.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. 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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