Oct 20, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A detailed view of Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson's (18) helmet before the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings have won seven straight, bouncing back beautifully after losing two games following their Week 6 bye.
This week’s injury report is out, and Harrison Smith carries a questionable status into the Week 16 tilt out west.
Next up is the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon a club very much in the playoff chase and desperately needing a dub.
Minnesota’s injury report, on the whole, is fairly reasonable this go-round.
These are each team’s injured players one day before Week 16.
Patrick Jones II (OLB), Brian O’Neill (RT), Harrison Phillips (DL), Dallas Turner (OLB), Stephon Gilmore (CB), Josh Oliver (TE), and David Quessenberry (OT) were sprinkled a bit on the injury report this week but carry no injury designation to Week 13.
Long-term Injuries
Zach Charbonnet (RB), Kenneth Walker III (RB), DK Metcalf (WR), Olu Oluwatimi (C), Tre Brown (CB), Noah Fant (TE), Ernest Jones (LB), AJ Barner (TE), and Geno Smith (QB) were limited in practice this week but will enter Sunday with no injury designation.
The Vikings are three-point favorites to defeat the Seahawks in Week 16. The Vikings have lost their last five games at Seattle, a dastardly streak dating back to 2006.
The Vikings remain in second place inside the NFC North, one game back of the Detroit Lions, a club that is straight crushing it right now. In fact, sportsbooks believe the Lions will win the Super Bowl.
Minnesota’s Super Bowl probability has climbed from +8000 to +1300 in the last three months, a signal that oddsmakers are beginning to buy what the purple team is selling. Nobody anywhere predicted Minnesota to be 12-2 at this point on the calendar. Instead, most would’ve guessed a mark closer to .500.
The Seahawks must win on Sunday to keep pace with the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West, and the Rams play the New York Jets, a game they’re forecasted to win by three.
Seattle’s defense is a Top 10 group in the NFL per EPA/Play, but the offense ranks 19th. The Seahawks, on the whole, looked generally terrible against the Green Bay Packers last weekend in primetime.
With a win on Sunday night, Minnesota can keep its hopes of homefield advantage in the postseason alive. Winning three games in a row would mandate the Vikings to play every postseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.