Vikings Fans Should Have Their Eyes on the Commanders-49ers Game This Weekend
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings have a game against the New York Giants this weekend that could end up being a pivotal matchup in regard to playoff seeding. The Vikings are trying to stay ahead of the San Francisco 49ers and maintain the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Meanwhile, the Giants suddenly find themselves in a position to potentially catch the Dallas Cowboys for the No. 5 seed.
However, there’s another game that Vikings fans must pay attention to this weekend. That game occurs immediately after the Vikings game ends on the west coast. Vikings fans should have their eyes on the Commanders/49ers game this weekend.
Why is this game so important for two non-divisional Vikings opponents? Well, this game could go a long way towards determining how the NFC playoff bracket will finish up.
See, the 49ers (10-4) are currently one game behind the Minnesota Vikings for the No. 2 seed in the NFC. If they find a way to win against the Commanders, they have a very good chance of finishing the season at 13-4, with their final two games being against the Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals.
This puts a ton of pressure on the Vikings to win their final two regular season games on the road against the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, if they lose, the Vikings could potentially be in a situation where they can rest their starters in Week 18 against the Bears by winning in Weeks 16 and 17.
Then for Washington, they are trying to hold off another NFC North team, the Detroit Lions, for the seventh and final seed in the NFC playoffs. Detroit has come on strong in recent weeks, winning six of their last seven games after starting the season 1-6. Now at 7-7, they are half a game behind the Commanders, who sit at 7-6-1 after losing to the Giants. Because of that, any loss for either team could prove to be a season-ender.
Seeing as the Vikings are currently slated to play against the No. 7 seed in the Wild Card, the results of this game may go a long way in determining which team the Vikings play. This is especially so if Minnesota defeats the New York Giants next weekend as well. It will be very interesting to see how things play out.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
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