Can the Minnesota Vikings still make the playoffs?
MINNEAPOLIS — After going 1-5 in their last six games and suffering a multitude of injuries, the Minnesota Vikings are limping toward the end of the season.
Despite the deluge of disappointments, the Vikings are still alive in the playoff race. Unfortunately, even if they beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday, they need a lot of help to make it to the postseason.
Here's what needs to happen for the Vikings to make the playoffs.
Beat the Lions
The first step is to win on Sunday. If that doesn't happen, the Vikings finish 7-10 and miss the playoffs no matter what.
They host the Lions in the final game of the regular season. In week 16, the Lions beat the Vikings 30-24 thanks to a game-ending interception by Nick Mullens.
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Detroit still has a chance at moving up in the playoff seeding, so they likely won't be resting starters, despite already locking up the division. On top of that, the Lions might have some extra motivation to make a statement after losing to the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday. Detroit went for two after a late touchdown to try to win, but a controversial penalty negated a successful try, and the Cowboys held on to win 20-19.
Green Bay loses
If the Vikings win their game, they'll be closely watching the Green Bay Packers take on the Chicago Bears in the afternoon slot. Minnesota needs Green Bay to lose to have a shot at the playoffs.
The Packers just beat down the Vikings and automatically make the postseason with a win. The Bears have already been eliminated, so they have nothing to play for, aside from the satisfaction of keeping the Packers out of the playoffs.
Seattle loses
The Vikings also need a loss from Seattle, which plays the Arizona Cardinals at the same time as Packers-Bears. The Cardinals are in the running for the second overall pick in April's draft, but they don't seem to be in tanking mode. They just beat the Philadelphia Eagles, who were 11-4 heading into the game. The Cards and Hawks are division rivals, too, so Arizona may hope to play spoiler to Seattle's playoff hopes.
Tampa Bay or New Orleans loses
If all three of the above outcomes happen, the Vikings will need one more loss from an NFC South team. If the New Orleans Saints or Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose, the Vikings will enter the playoffs as the No. 7 seed and have a first round matchup with the No. 2 Cowboys in Dallas.
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The Saints play the Atlanta Falcons at noon, while the Bucs take on the Carolina Panthers in the same time slot. Each team needs to win and needs the other to lose to get into the playoffs. The Panthers are guaranteed to finish with the league's worst record, but the Bears own their first overall draft pick due to last year's trade up to select quarterback Bryce Young. The Falcons, meanwhile, are still in the race for the NFC South title, along with the Saints and Bucs.
Full schedule of games to watch
- Lions at Vikings: Noon
- Falcons at Saints: Noon
- Buccaneers at Panthers: Noon
- Seahawks at Cardinals: 3:25 p.m.
- Bears at Packers: 3:25 p.m.
What draft pick will the Vikings have?
If any one of the four conditions above isn't met, the Vikings will be out of the playoffs and preparing for the NFL draft in April. They're slated to have the No. 12 pick, but could finish with a top 10 pick or fall back a couple of picks if they miss the playoffs. If they make the playoffs, they'd be picking 19th at the earliest.
