Congratulations, Vikings Nation. Your squad is the best of the 10 worst teams still pillow fighting for the NFC’s final wild-card spot — or the undeserving fourth seed that will go to the winner of the NFC South.
Combined record of those teams: 48-67.
Teams with a winning record: 0.
Teams without a losing record: 2. The 6-6 Seahawks, who fell to seventh in the NFC with Thursday’s loss to Dallas, and the 6-6 Vikings, who jumped to sixth while spending the bye week choosing between Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall as their starting quarterback when they travel to Las Vegas next week.
The bad news: No one’s that good. Atlanta (5-6) holds the fourth seed as leader of the NFC South, but the Saints (5-6) and Buccaneers (4-8) are close behind.
The good news: Everyone’s kind of bad. Washington (4-8) traded its two premier edge rushers, fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, has lost three straight by a combined 50 points and takes even less care of the ball than the Vikings. And yet, the Commanders are still in the hunt!
Heck, everybody in the NFC except Carolina (1-10) and Arizona (2-10) is in the hunt.
There’s no quarterback that stands above the rest. The miles of 15 NFL seasons are wearing on the 5-6 Rams’ Matthew Stafford. Atlanta has bounced between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. Inconsistent at best would best describe the 5-6 Saints’ Derek Carr, the 4-8 Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield, the 4-8 Bears’ Justin Fields, the Commanders’ Sam Howell, the 5-6 Packers’ Jordan Love, Seattle’s 2023 version of Geno Smith and Dobbs.
Then there’s undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito, who, in a week-to-week league, has quickly supplanted Dobbs as the league’s feel-good quarterback tale. The 4-8 Giants’ local-Jersey-kid-does-good story features won two straight wins, matching the combined win total of veteran teammates Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor.
But …
Look out, Tommy!
The Giants have one of the tougher remaining schedules among these nine teams. They face the stingy Eagles twice with the league’s worst scoring attack (13.3).
The hottest of the these nine teams: Green Bay. The Packers have won three of their last four, two straight and are coming off an upset at Detroit on Thanksgiving.
Meanwhile, the Bears, Saints, Giants, Rams and Vikings are 2-2 in their last four games. The Commanders, Bucs, Falcons and Seahawks have won only one of their last four. Washington and Seattle are riding three-game losing steaks.
Looking ahead, the Commanders and Rams play three games against teams with current winning records. Washington plays the Dolphins, 49ers and Cowboys. The Rams play Cleveland, Baltimore and the 49ers.
The Vikings and Bears join the Giants and Seahawks as teams that have two games against teams with current winning records. The Bears have to play the Lions and Cleveland. The Vikings have to play the Lions twice. And Seattle still has to play San Francisco and Philadelphia.
Atlanta has to play four of its final six games on the road. The Vikings, Packers, Rams, Bucs and Seahawks each have three remaining road games. Meanwhile the Saints play their next three games at home followed by two road trips in their final three weeks.
Of these 10 teams, the Vikings have the second-highest ranking for scoring (15th, 21.9) behind No. 14 Seattle (22.0), and are tied with the Saints for the highest ranking for scoring defense (eighth, 20.2). Unfortunately for the Vikings, their minus-8 turnover differential ranks tied for 30th in the league, ahead of only Washington (minus-9).
But, looking around at the NFC’s expansive soft underbelly gives the Vikings hope coming out of the bye and getting Justin Jefferson back from a hamstring injury that cost him seven games.
“We definitely have what it takes,” receiver K.J. Osborn said when asked whether the Vikings still have what it takes to make the playoffs.
“We just got to fix our self-inflicted wounds. We’ve got a couple games left. Everything is out in front of us.”
So, go ahead, Vikings Nation. Try to celebrate. Your squad heads into December as the best of the 10 worst NFC playoff contenders.
For now, at least.