Vikings Playoff Opponents: 4 Most Likely Teams
NFL playoff football is right around the corner, and the Minnesota Vikings will be part of the tournament after a one-year absence. It will be the second postseason trip for Kevin O’Connell and the franchise’s second postseason participation in the last five seasons.
Vikings Playoff Opponents: 4 Most Likely Teams
The math is simple for the Vikings: Win out and clinch the first seed in the NFC, get home-field advantage and a bye week. If the Vikings split the final two games against the Packers and the Lions, they will likely finish as the conference’s fifth seed, and the Packers would still overtake the purple rivals in the standings if they win out and the Vikings lose out.
The opponents vary based on Minnesota’s spot, and a few division leaders can still change in the upcoming two weeks. Here are the most likely matchups for the Vikings if they can’t win the one seed. All of them are on the road.
4. Seattle Seahawks
Due to the victory on Thursday over the Chicago Bears, the Seattle Seahawks stay in the race for the NFC West crown with a 9-7 record. They don’t have a shot at clinching a wildcard and, therefore, need to hope for the Rams to lose on Sunday against the Cardinals while winning the matchup between the two franchises in Week 18.
The Rams host both of those games. Seattle lost a pair of home games against the Packers and Vikings, and their home-field advantage is non-existent compared to the days of the Legion of Boom.
3. Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta is in a pretty similar situation. The Falcons have benched longtime Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins in favor of Michael Penix Jr., who they surprisingly selected in April’s draft. His debut was a dominant win over the New York Giants despite only throwing for 202 yards, no TDs, and one interception.
The Falcons clinch the NFC South by winning at Washington and then at home against the Panthers.
2. Los Angeles Rams
One of only two teams to beat the Vikings in the 2024 season, the Rams are favored to win the NFC West. As previously mentioned, the Rams host the Seahawks in Week 18, and a win clinches the division, and so does a win on Sunday at home against the Cardinals.
Sean McVay’s Rams have been on a remarkable run after overcoming their early-season injury problems. A healthy Rams team can beat anyone, and nobody wants to face them.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tied with the Falcons for first place in the NFC South, the Baker Mayfield-led Buccaneers need to win more games than the Falcons because Atlanta swept the season series and won the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Those two games will be at home against the Panthers and the Saints. On paper, that’s easier than the Commanders on the road, and that’s why they are at the top of the list.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt