Game results: The Vikings turned it on in the second half to thump the Falcons 42-21 in Week 14. The only clinching option that does not require a tie would be if each of the Cardinals and Rams lose. Arizona and LA both play in the 4 p.m. window on Sunday.
The 10-2 Minnesota Vikings may be 1.5 games behind the Detroit Lions for the NFC North division, but they are almost all the way clear in the wild card race and could clinch a playoff spot in Week 14. By the time Sunday is over, they could have a playoff berth sewn up, but they need some help.
Minnesota is a 5.5-point favorite at home against the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons in a big game on Sunday, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
Vikings playoff berth clinching scenarios
The first thing that needs to happen is Minnesota getting to 11 wins. Without a Vikings win, they can’t clinch in Week 14.
Not only would the win guarantee that their worst record would be 11-6, it would clinch their spot ahead of Atlanta in the wild card standings. With Atlanta out of the picture, Minnesota doesn’t have to worry about the six-loss Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the clinching scenario.
To clinch a spot, the Vikings would need the other two six-loss teams to lose their games, guaranteeing their best finish would be 10-7. They need losses from the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams. Arizona is playing the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks while the Rams are playing the Buffalo Bills juggernaut.
Here is the complete list in one sentence fragment:
- Vikings win AND Cardinals loss AND Rams loss
NFC North clinching scenarios
The Detroit Lions already won their Week 14 game, so Minnesota won’t be able to tie them until Week 15 at the earliest, and they lost the head-to-head tiebreaker. The earliest the Vikings could clinch the division is Week 17, but the Week 18 game between the two squads seems like the first realistic chance if the season comes down to the wire.
NFC standings during Week 14 following Thursday Night Football
1. x-Detroit Lions (12-1)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)
3. Seattle Seahawks (7-5)
4. Atlanta Falcons (6-6, 2-0 vs TB)
5. Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
6. Green Bay Packers (9-3)
7. Washington Commanders (8-5)
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6, 0-2 vs ATL, 6-3 NFC)
9. Arizona Cardinals (6-6, win over LAR, 3-5 NFC)
10. Los Angeles Rams (6-6, loss to ARI)
11. San Francisco 49ers (5-7, win over DAL)
12. Dallas Cowboys (5-7, loss to SF)
13. New Orleans Saints (4-8, 2-3 NFC South, 3-5 NFC)
14. Chicago Bears (4-8, 2-5 NFC)*
15. Carolina Panthers (3-9)
16. New York Giants (2-10)* eliminated
Teams with an asterisk have been eliminated from their divisional races.
Teams with an “x” have clinched a playoff spot
Teams with a “y” have clinched their division
