Expand / Collapse search
☰

Vikings clinch NFC Playoff spot after Packers beat Seahawks

By
Published  December 15, 2024 10:26pm CST
Minnesota Vikings
FOX 9

Vikings clinch spot in NFC Playoffs

Sunday Night on FOX 9 Sports Now, Jim Rich and Pete Bercich with the Vikings Radio Network talk about Minnesota clinching a spot in the NFC Playoffs ahead of Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Brief

    • The Vikings clinched a spot in the NFC Playoffs after the Packers beat the Seahawks 30-13 on Sunday Night Football
    • The Vikings are 11-2 and have won 6 straight heading into Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears
    • If the Vikings win their final 4 games, they'll get the No. 1 seed and a first round bye with a 15-2 record

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Vikings host the Chicago Bears for Monday Night Football at U.S. Bank Stadium already knowing they’re heading to the NFC Playoffs.

The Vikings clinched a playoff spot after the Green Bay Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks 30-13 on Sunday Night Football. At worst, they’ll be a Wild Card team. That said, there’s a lot to play for with four regular season games remaining.

Sam Darnold wins again, now what? | Vikings Now

Is Sam Darnold too good to let go?  Do the Vikings need to re-sign him? FOX 9's Jim Rich and Pierre Noujaim discuss.

Why it matters

The Vikings are headed to the postseason for the second time in three seasons under Kevin O’Connell. They went 13-4 in his inaugural season to win the NFC North. Last year, they finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs.

Can they still win the NFC North?

Yes. The Detroit Lions had a 12-game win streak snapped in a loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday to drop to 12-2. If the Vikings beat the Bears Monday night, they would win their seventh straight and improve to 12-2. The Lions hold the tiebreakers by virtue of their win at U.S. Bank Stadium, so the Vikings would have to win out to finish 15-2, including a win at Detroit in the regular season finale.

That would give the Vikings a No. 1 seed, first round bye and home field throughout the NFC Playoffs. At 11-2, the Vikings are currently the No. 5 seed.

The schedules

The Vikings host the Bears Monday, head to Seattle next Sunday, host the Packers Dec. 29 and then head to Ford Field. The Lions have consecutive road games at Chicago and at San Francisco before hosting the Vikings.

There’s a very real chance that Week 18 between the Vikings and Lions at Ford Field could be for the NFC North title. The Lions won the division last year, then lost a nailbiter to the 49ers in the NFC title game.

Minnesota VikingsSports