The Vikings’ Cushion in the NFC Is Gone with 5 Weeks Remaining

Josh Frey |

Dec 4, 2023

Aug 19, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell looks on during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Just three weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings held a sizeable cushion for the seventh and final seed in the NFC.

They had come off their fifth straight win after a victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, and every single one of Minnesota’s NFC foes for that No. 7 seed sat at least 1.5 games behind them. Gone are those days, though.

Now, with five weeks left in the regular season, the Vikings’ cushion in the NFC has completely dissipated, and they are in the midst of a five-way tie in the conference at 6-6.

The Vikings’ Cushion in the NFC Is Gone

So, how exactly did this happen? Well, it starts with the fact that the Vikings lost two consecutive games prior to their Week 13 bye. First, they fell to the Denver Broncos by a score of 21-20, and then, they were upset by the Chicago Bears, 12-10.

It was the exact wrong time for Minnesota to take a step back. In the same three-week span where the Vikings have gone 0-2, here is the records of the other 6-6 teams in the NFC:

Atlanta Falcons: 2-0
Green Bay Packers: 3-0
Los Angeles Rams: 3-0
Seattle Seahawks: 0-3

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) makes an adjustment at the life during the first quarter of their game against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, December 3, 2023 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Not only have the teams behind Minnesota gone on complete tears, with an 8-0 combined record from Atlanta, Green Bay, and Los Angeles, but the Vikings could have built a strong lead for the No. 6 seed if they had simply beaten the teams in front of them.

Seattle has completely unraveled over the past few weeks, losing all three of their games during this stretch. Their first of the losses came by one point against the Rams. Then they got blown out by the San Francisco 49ers and lost by eight to the Dallas Cowboys.

Luckily, this losing stretch from Seattle against all NFC opponents has meant that the Vikings still have managed to move up the standings to the No. 6 seed despite not having won a game since November 12th.

Nov 27, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) prepares to throw a pass against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Now, though, the Vikings need to win games to finish out the season, particularly with their final three opponents residing within the NFC North. All of a sudden, the Week 17 matchup against the Green Bay Packers looks like it could be a season-defining game for both teams, and as of now, the Packers look like the better group.

However, Minnesota will be getting some reinforcements for this final stretch of the year. Justin Jefferson and Akayleb Evans should be back on the field in Week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders, and a couple weeks from now, Jordan Hicks will be eligible to return from IR in Week 16 against the Detroit Lions.

The Vikings team that we’ve seen during this losing streak is not the team that will be on the field during the final five weeks, and hopefully, that will lead to a few more wins to close out the season.

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Justin Jefferson Isn’t the Only Vikings Starter Coming Back After the Bye

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.