The 4 Most Probable Playoff Opponents for the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Atlanta Falcons last weekend, thanks to an utterly dominant 4th Quarter that sent Kirk Cousins and his team home disappointed.
The 4 Most Probable Playoff Opponents for the Vikings
Kevin O’Connell’s team has an 11-2 record and needs one more win or a Los Angeles Rams loss to reach the playoffs.
For Minnesota to miss the postseason, it would have to finish the season 0-4 and have the Rams win out, which just doesn’t seem too likely. So, these are the Vikings’ likeliest playoff opponents in the Wildcard Round (if one assumes they don’t pass the Detroit Lions and win the NFC North), ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most likely Round 1 playoff opponent).
4. at Los Angeles Rams
The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers still have a path to win the NFC West, but it’s unlikely, generally speaking, because the Cardinals lost on Sunday, and the 49ers are 6-7 through 14 weeks.
That puts the Rams (7-5) at the bottom of this list, still alive for the division and hosting a home playoff game.
Los Angeles is a game back of the next team on the list and obviously must catch Seattle to win the NFC West. If it does that and finishes in the No. 5 seed, the Vikings would perhaps be on the menu.
3. at Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have defeated the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals in the last four weeks, dubs that have done wonders for their playoff probability.
As the No. 3 seed through 14 weeks, Seattle would host Green Bay if the postseason kicked off today.
The Vikings play the Seahawks at Lumen Field in Week 16, a potential playoff preview, which is a trend on this list.
2. at Atlanta Falcons
Pondering the Falcons in the postseason is a bit comical as of Monday, December 9th — they’ve lost four straight, and the quarterback is reeling.
Still, Atlanta has the NFL’s easiest remaining schedule:
- at Las Vegas Raiders
- vs. New York Giants
- at Washington Commanders
- vs. Carolina Panthers
If Cousins and Co. find a way to rebound, the NFC South winner will likely host Minnesota on Wildcard Weekend.
1. at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Although the Falcons have dropped the Buccaneers twice, Tampa Bay is one game up on Atlanta in the win column.
Tampa Bay has climbed around the bad tiebreaker after the Falcons’ recent losses, and if the Buccaneers stay one win head of the Falcons, a Buccaneers-Vikings matchup in January is dripping with inevitably.
This is the Buccaneers’ remaining schedule:
- at Los Angeles Chargers
- at Dallas Cowboys
- vs. Carolina Panthers
- vs. New Orleans Saints
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.
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