Lions quarterback Jared Goff passes against the Vikings during the second half of the Lions' 34-23 win over the Vikings on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, at Ford Field. © Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK.
Some Minnesota Vikings fans want the team to “tank” at the Detroit Lions this Sunday. The club won’t do that, but it doesn’t stop tankers from requesting a tank.
Others desire a Vikings playoff game, which would require a win over the Lions, a loss by the Green Bay Packers to the Chicago Bears, an Arizona Cardinals win over the Seattle Seahawks, and either a Tampa Bay Buccaneers or New Orleans Saints loss.
That’s probably not happening, either.
So, as the Tank vs. Playoff debate circulates on social media, an overlooked item is where the Vikings finish in the NFC North. Second, third, or fourth place will determine 2024’s schedule difficulty, and few are talking about it, too fixated on draft order and faint playoff hopes.
Foremost, Minnesota cannot win the division. It will not play a first-place schedule next season as it did in 2023. The Lions canceled the Vikings’ hopes of a division crown at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 16. No matter what, Detroit will place a first-place schedule in 2024.
Then, however, mystery looms for the Vikings’ finish inside the North.
Most of the Vikings’ 2024 schedule is determined, but three games will be determined by their placement in the NFC North on Sunday.
If the Vikings beat the Lions while the Packers lose to the Bears, Minnesota would play these teams in 2024:
And if the Vikings lose to the Lions, but the Packers beat the Bears, it would net a third-place schedule that looks more like this:
Finally, the “best-case scenario” for fans who’d rather the Vikings have an easy schedule next season at the expense of a last-place finish in 2023. This would require a Vikings loss at Detroit and a Bears win at Green Bay:
And when one examines it in that vein, fourth place doesn’t look half-bad.
Here are the other Vikings matchups in 2024, regardless of this weekend’s outcome —
Opponents at U.S. Bank Stadium:
Then, games on the road versus these teams:
Ergo, in addition to draft order or slipping into the postseason, folks must monitor division placement, too.
The Vikings are 3.5-point underdogs at Detroit.
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 Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.