Five Likely Vikings Playoff Opponents Ranked by Difficulty
The Minnesota Vikings have not secured a playoff spot quite yet, but with a 10-2 record and the possibility of clinching a spot this weekend, it might be time to start looking at potential playoff opponents.
At the risk of jinxing the purple team, here is a look at five of the more likely Wild Card opponents for the Vikings ranked by difficulty. These matchups will be based off an assumption that the Vikings will finish with the No. 5 seed in the NFC.
5. Atlanta Falcons
We’ll see how true this is once the Vikings finish their Week 14 matchup against Kirk Cousins’ new team, but for now, the Atlanta Falcons look to be the easiest option for the Vikings come playoff time.
The Falcons simply don’t do anything spectacularly right now. Here is where Atlanta ranks in terms of offensive EPA this season:
Overall: 15th
Passing: 14th
Rushing: 15th
And here are their defensive rankings:
Overall: 25th
Passing: 25th
Rushing: 22nd
Kirk Cousins has seen his passing yardage numbers take a dip while he is also currently leading the NFL in interceptions while the Vikings have intercepted a league-high 18 passes this season. Atlanta offers Minnesota a chance at extra possessions, and Vikings fans certainly have plenty of opinions about Cousins’ performances in big games.
The Vikings likely go to Atlanta and win, assuming they are the top Wild Card seed this January.
4. Seattle Seahawks
Lumen Field (formerly known as CenturyLink Field) has been a house of horrors for the Minnesota Vikings over the years. In fact, Minnesota has not won a game in Seattle since 2006. If the Vikings meet the Seahawks in the Wild Card round, that will be their precise task, but we’ll soon see if they can get that monkey off their backs in Week 16.
The Seahawks are a similar team to the Falcons in that they have a middle-of-the-road starting QB, a few strong players at skill positions, and no true area where they excel. Still, this team has caught fire following their bye week by winning three straight games, and the history of Minnesota going to Seattle has to be taken into account.
3. Los Angeles Rams
The Minnesota Vikings lost to the Los Angeles Rams earlier this season, but that should not quite damper Vikings fans’ hopes if they are forced to go back to SoFi Stadium this January. Remember, that game was played on Thursday Night Football, and the Vikings did not have LB Blake Cashman in the lineup while Los Angeles had both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua returning to the field.
As a result, it was easily Minnesota’s most disappointing defensive performance of the season, but that group has gotten back to its normal form recently. On top of that, Los Angeles has not looked nearly as formidable in recent weeks. They’ve lost to the Miami Dolphins at home, squeaked by the New England Patriots, gotten blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles, and squeaked by the New Orleans Saints.
Of course, any team coached by Sean McVay cannot be overlooked come playoff time, but the Vikings likely would have a much easier time handling this team if they rematched in January.
2. Arizona Cardinals
The Minnesota Vikings escaped Week 13 with a win over the Arizona Cardinals, but many fans will admit that the Cardinals likely should have won that game. Arizona converted just one of their six red zone attempts into touchdowns, and they made a very questionable decision to settle for a field goal down the stretch rather than go for the sure win.
Of course, the Vikings won’t apologize for any win and shouldn’t, but if Minnesota were to meet Arizona in the Wild Card round, they should not take them lightly. The Cardinals’ offense has seen a revival under Kyler Murray this year, and Marvin Harrison Jr. is blossoming into a star receiver right as Minnesota saw its first real injury in the secondary in Stephon Gilmore’s hamstring ailment.
Add in the fact that Minnesota likely would be making a trip to Arizona in the Wild Card round rather than playing host, and this could be a very tough day.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 6-6, but they should be considered a team that is at least a bit better than their record suggests at this point. They have played a brutal schedule this season which has included the Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs.
They also have had to navigate a good portion of this season without star receiver Mike Evans. Even still, they rank fifth in points per game and sixth in yards per game, and their rushing attack has been very efficient, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. With Evans back in the lineup, Tampa Bay can attack opponents in a number of ways, and they have had a knack for showing up in big moments.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference and nfeloapp.com.
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