The Vikings have a few playoff scenarios that could unfold on the final Sunday of the NFL’s regular season, but they won’t know anything for certain until the clock strikes zero at Lambeau Field on Sunday night.
The division collision between the Vikings and Packers was flexed from a noon kickoff to a 7:30 p.m. start. The winner claims the NFC North crown and the loser will hit the road as a Wild Card team.
There are three possible outcomes for the Vikings, and the Arizona-Seattle game Sunday afternoon could play a role if Minnesota loses.
If the Vikings beat the Packers…
They will earn the 3-seed and host the Seahawks (6-seed) in the Wild Card round.
If the Vikings and Seahawks lose…
The Vikings will be the 5-seed and play on the road against Washington. In this scenario, the Vikings would finish 10-6 and the Seahawks would have a final record of 9-7.
If the Vikings lose and the Seahawks win…
The Vikings will be the 6-seed and play the Packers in Green Bay for a second week in a row. In this scenario, both Minnesota and Seattle would finish with 10-6 records, with Seattle owning the tiebreaker thanks to a 38-7 win over the Vikings in Week 13.
Who’s hot and who’s not?
Playing at home is ideal, but which of the three possible playoff opponents – Green Bay, Seattle and Washington – would you rather see the Vikings play?
Washington (8-7) won the NFC East. Albeit a weak division, the Redskins have won four of its last five games.
Seattle destroyed the Vikings less than a month ago and had won five straight prior to Sunday’s 23-17 loss to St. Louis.
Green Bay, as Peter King of MMQB explains, has been pretty bad for more than two months now.
“Green Bay, trying for its fifth straight NFC North title, is 4-5 since Halloween (and would be 3-6 if not for Aaron Rodgers’ Hail Mary of all Hail Marys on Dec. 3 at Detroit). Incredible to think the team that started 6-0 with visions of home-field through the playoffs is now one loss away from traveling to Washington to play a wild-card game in two weeks.”
Despite that, the Packers thumped the Vikings 30-13 in Week 11.
