The Vikings’ Magical Season and The Cruel Irony Just Ahead
The Vikings’ season has been a sensational one, to say the least.
Kevin O’Connell’s crew has utterly eviscerated expectations, shattering the forecasts about Minnesota being a humdrum squad by proving to be an elite one. So far, only a pair of teams have been able to take down O’Connell and the Vikings. Any chance history repeats itself in these next two weeks?
The Vikings’ Season and The Potential Irony Ahead
Only two teams have been able to solve the purple puzzle: the Detroit Lions (14-2) and Los Angeles Rams (10-6).
Currently, both teams sit atop of their division. Detroit will officially secure the NFC North with a win in Week 18, giving Dan Campbell’s team the conference’s top spot and an opening-round bye week to nurse their numerous bumps and bruises.
Assume, for the sake of argument, that lightning strikes twice. The Lions got the best of the Vikings in Week 7 and then they do so again in Week 18. The end result would be a 14-3 Vikings team that finishes as conference’s 5th squad, sitting in the top Wild Card spot.
Minnesota would be locked into a matchup with the 4th team in the conference for a road battle. Who could be waiting? Well, none other than the Los Angeles Rams, at least if things go a certain way in Week 18.
The Rams currently occupy the NFC’s 3rd spot, but a loss in Week 18 alongside a Buccaneers victory would mean sinking down to 4th.
Michael Canelo of Sports Illustrated confirms the possibility, writing, “But with a loss and a win by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Rams will drop down to the number four seed. The Rams will have a more favorable matchup if they clinch the third seed. A drop to the four seed can see them playing the red-hot Minnesota Vikings. They defeated the Vikings earlier in the season in Week 8.”
Wounded Vikings fans who are accustomed to heartbreak will be able to follow the cruel, ironic logic.
The 2024 season has been sensational with only a pair of teams being able to overcome the Vikings. The irony is that Minnesota could very realistically be forced into a scenario where they need to face those same two teams — the Lions and Rams — just before the postseason and right after entering the postseason.
Of course, the scenario were discussing could fall apart quickly. A win in Week 18 would mean snagging the coveted top spot in the NFC, making the potential Rams matchup in the opening round an impossibility since a bye would be gifted to the Vikings.
If, however, the Vikings stumble in Week 18 and then get the Rams in the opening round of the playoffs, there will very reasonably be some nervous people in Minnesota.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.