Vikings Fans Should Be Rooting for 3 AFC Teams on Sunday
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings are on their bye week, so they will not be playing this weekend.
It’s a stress-free Sunday for Vikings fans, but there are still teams that fans of the purple team should be rooting for this weekend. Namely, three AFC teams can help the Vikings out a lot by winning their upcoming games on Sunday.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are coming off a Week 12 loss to the Denver Broncos, and without Dorian Thompson-Robinson being available, they are set to start Joe Flacco this weekend against the Los Angeles Rams.
Los Angeles has gotten back on track with back-to-back victories, and they currently sit at 5-6, just half a game behind the Vikings for the final Wild Card spot. It isn’t the end of the world if Cleveland doesn’t win on the road, but it would certainly make things easier if the chase pack gets a bit thinner behind Minnesota.
It should also be noted that the Vikings do not play Los Angeles at any point this season (unless they somehow meet in the playoffs), so they will be relying on in-conference record if they need a tiebreaker to land above the Rams. Currently, Minnesota is 6-3 against NFC opponents while LA is 4-4.
New York Jets
The New York Jets have been a mess in recent weeks, but there is no better time for them to get back on track than this weekend.
Tim Boyle is set to remain New York’s starting QB as they take on the Atlanta Falcons, who currently lead the NFC South at 5-6 because of a head-to-head tiebreaker over the New Orleans Saints. However, if both Atlanta and New Orleans win this weekend, that could make things complicated for the Vikings in terms of their playoff hopes.
Luckily, the Vikings hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over both Atlanta and New Orleans, but again, things could come down to an in-conference tiebreaker if the Rams remain in the mix. Currently, the Falcons are 4-4 against NFC teams while the Saints are 2-4 with each of their final six games coming against NFC opponents.
Kansas City Chiefs
And finally, we get to the no-brainer of Vikings fans rooting interests. The Kansas City Chiefs head to Lambeau for a Sunday Night Football matchup against the Green Bay Packers in what could be a snow-filled game.
After starting the season 2-5, the Packers have won three of their last four games to get to 5-6 and are suddenly back in the playoff mix. This is the final huge test for Green Bay this season as they will play the Giants, Buccaneers, Panthers, Vikings, and Bears over the final five weeks.
Minnesota needs all the ground they can get on their division rivals, so like always, Vikings fans need to be rooting for a Packers loss on Sunday night.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.