Oct 9, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Chicago Bears in Week 15 and hope to chip off the Seattle Seahawks on the road in Week 16.
Kevin O’Connell’s team has a 12-2 record, clinching a playoff trip on Sunday night, thanks to the Green Bay Packers’ win over the Seattle Seahawks.
And because of Week 15 dealings, the team’s most probably playoff opponent in Round 1 changed. 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).
The Cardinals poked their heads back into the postseason race on Sunday, defeating the New England Patriots 30-17.
They did themselves no favors by losing to Minnesota and Seattle in the two weeks prior, but, in theory, if they won their next three games, Arizona could host the Vikings in Round 1.
Weighing the Falcons’ postseason plans felt good before Monday Night Football following a four-game losing skid. But Atlanta rebounded Monday night with a desperation dub over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Atlanta has the NFL’s easiest remaining schedule:
If Kirk Cousins and Co. find a way to rattle off more wins, the NFC South winner will likely host Minnesota on Wildcard Weekend.
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.
Seattle hurt itself tremendously in Week 15, though, getting pushed around by the Green Bay Packers. It now has just a 19.7% chance of reaching the postseason.
The Vikings play the Seahawks at Lumen Field in Week 16, a theoretical playoff preview, which is a trend on this list.
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:
The Buccaneers put a firm grasp on the NFC South Sunday, toppling the Los Angeles Chargers on the road. The Falcons must win and hope the Buccaneers lose a game or reclaim the division lead.
The Rams (8-6) rocketed to the top of this list after a win over the San Francisco 49ers and a Seattle Seahawks loss on SNF.
They have a 44% odds of seizing the No. 4 seed in the NFC, while Minnesota is at 39% of snagging the No. 5 seed. Among all NFC participants, those odds lead the way for each team, respectively.
If the postseason began tonight, Minnesota would travel to Los Angeles for a Week 8 rematch when Kevin O’Connell and friends lost 30-20.
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.