Now well over halfway through the 2021 NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings have gone from the outside of the playoff picture to right into the heart of it entering Week 12 of the regular season.
Just a few short weeks ago in Week 9, Minnesota fell to the Baltimore Ravens on the road in a winnable game to drop to 3-5 overall while holding just a 27 percent chance of reach to postseason according to FiveThirtyEight’s projections.
But after two big wins over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10 and the Green Bay Packers in Week 11, the Vikings are back to the .500 mark and are right back into the playoff picture.
With another big and important test coming up in Week 12 on the road, Minnesota’s latest victory might have saved its season and restored playoff hopes while trying to return to the postseason in 2021.
Minnesota Vikings Season Might Have Been Saved After Week 11 Win
NFC Playoff Picture
According to FiveThirtyEight, the Vikings are not only right back into the playoff picture in the NFC but have over a 50 percent chance of extending their year beyond the regular season, holding a 59 percent chance of making the postseason through Week 11.
At 5-5 overall with seven games remaining, Minnesota would be in the playoffs if the season were to end following Week 11, currently slotted in the sixth seed in the conference.
The Vikings are currently a few games behind the fifth seed, but they are in a postseason spot to the surprise of some. Minnesota is also in a tight race for the sixth and seventh seeds in the NFC, with the New Orleans Saints (5-5), San Francisco 49ers (5-5), Philadelphia Eagles (5-6), Carolina Panthers (5-6), Washington Football Team (4-6) and Atlanta Falcons (4-6) all right in the thick of things as well.
That means the Vikings will have to continue their uphill climb to securing a spot in the postseason over the final seven games, starting with a big game once again in Week 12 against a team in the middle of that NFC playoff race.
Week 12 Against 49ers Will Be Key
Even though it is just Week 12, the game on Sunday evening at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California between Minnesota and San Francisco will feel much like a playoff game. And it certainly will have playoff implications on the line either way.
The Vikings and 49ers will not only fight for positioning in the NFC playoff picture in Week 12, but this game could be a very important one when it comes to who will hold the tiebreaker between the two squads if or when they are tied in the standings at the end of the regular season. Obviously, both teams want to win this game for multiple reasons, but that adds another aspect to the contest.
Minnesota and San Francisco are both 5-5 overall, with the Vikings having a better chance to reach the playoffs compared to the 49ers (49 percent), according to FiveThirtyEight.
Both teams are also playing some of their best football the last few weeks, with Minnesota and San Francisco each coming into the game with a two-game winning streak and winners in three of their last four matchups.
It’s been an up-and-down season for both the Vikings and 49ers, but they both find themselves with a chance to make a run at the playoffs heading into Week 12.
Specifically for Minnesota, the hopes of a postseason berth looked bleak just two weeks ago. But after two upset victories and a season-saving win over a NFC North rival in Week 11, the Vikings have restored their aspirations to keep playing beyond the regular season but have to keep it going with yet another tough test on deck on the road in Week 12.
Main Image:
