This Is What Happens if the Vikings Lose to the Lions
The Minnesota Vikings, with a 14-2 record, will embark on the postseason in one or two weeks.
This Is What Happens if the Vikings Lose to the Lions
The next chapter determines if Minnesota enters the dance as a Wildcard team or NFC North king. The Vikings can clinch homefield advantage throughout the postseason if it wins on Sunday night at the Detroit Lions.
And if the Vikings do not win, here’s what happens after.
1. Instant Wildcard Status — the No. 5 Seed
The loser of Lions-Vikings will indisputably drop to the No. 5 seed. It’s non-negotiable.
The winner, of course, will be gifted with homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. That is also non-negotiable. The good news for both teams? Neither team’s season can end on Sunday. It’s all about winning for momentum and precious homefield advantage.
2. Road Warriors
Sunday’s game between Minnesota and Detroit will determine which team plays at home in the playoffs and which hits the road.
It’s as simple as that.
If Minnesota wins, the road to the Super Bowl goes through U.S. Bank Stadium. If it loses, well, the purple team will likely have to win three road games to achieve February immortality.
3. Possible Lions Rematch in Playoffs
Another item of note: if the Vikings lose to the Lions on Sunday night, that doesn’t mean a rematch is ruled out later this month.
Minnesota could reasonably meet Detroit in the Divisional Round or NFC Championship — probably the latter based on seeding — and seek redemption and the avoidance of three losses to the same team in a season.
This plan depends on Minnesota’s ability to win in Round 1 and probably Round 2, but a Vikings-Lions playoff rematch is not far-fetched. Not one bit.
1. A Harder Road, Flat Out
The ultimate endgame of a loss at Detroit is simple: the road gets much more difficult.
The purple team essentially wins a playoff game if it beats Detroit on SNF; a loss means a long, on-the-road slog. There’s just no other way around it.
Win and play the rest of the games with home cooking — or hit the road at Tampa Bay (probably) and hope for the best while carving a path with three away wins to the Super Bowl.
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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