Sunday was indeed Hell for Vikings.
It was a Sunday from hell for the Vikings. Murphy’s law was at play, and Minnesota’s playoff hopes took a nosedive by as much as 10 percent. The Vikings entered Sunday’s game with a 51 percent chance of making the playoffs. By Sunday night, that chance had dropped to 40 percent.
What the Vikings wanted: a win for the Jets over the Falcons
The result: Falcons win 13-8
The Falcons trail the Vikings by one game in the NFC South, but the Vikings hold the tiebreaker over the Falcons. If Minnesota finishes 2-3 and the Falcons go 3-2 for the remainder of the season, Atlanta will be in the dance for a wildcard spot.
What the Vikings wanted: the Browns over the Rams
What the Vikings expected: the Rams over the Browns
What the Rams expected: the Rams beat the turnover-prone Browns 36-19, moving them into a tie with the Vikings at 6-6. Los Angeles has the makings of a playoff team and can’t be overlooked in the Wildcard race.
The Rams will now travel to face the Ravens next weekend.
What the Buccaneers wanted: the Panthers over the Buccaneers
The Vikings wanted the Panthers to beat the Buccaneers. The result: The Buccaneers beat the Vikings 21-18. Tampa Bay is one of the least threatening teams on this list, and they hold a tiebreaker over the Vikings. Similar to the example of the Jets, it would have been much better for the Vikings to have Adam Thielen’s Panthers win their second game in 2023. The result: No cigar. The Lions beat the Saints.
What the Vikings Wants: Saints vs. Lions
What the Lions Want: Lions vs. Vikings
What the Lions Wants: Vikings vs. Lions
The Lions Win: 33-28
Detroit leads the NFC North by three games, and the Vikings will have to wait for the Bears or the Denver Broncos to beat Detroit to keep their slim division-title hopes alive. By Christmas Eve, the Vikings must be two games back of Detroit to have any chance of making the playoffs.
What the Vikings wanted: Kansas City Chiefs over Green Bay Packers
What the Packers wanted: Green Bay Packers over Kansas City Chiefs
What the Packers want: Green Bay Packers win 27-19The Packers are set to host the New York Giants, host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, host the Carolina Panthers, host the Minnesota Vikings, and host the Chicago Bears. It’s going to be a walk in the park. The only game Green Bay “should” have lost, against the defending champs, was Sunday Night Football. Unless the Packers just implode against bad teams, they’ll make it to the playoffs for the first time in Aaron Rodgers’ absence.
