Minnesota Vikings get bigger leg up in Wild Card race

The Minnesota Vikings gained a big advantage in the Wild Card race after losses by the Buccaneers and Falcons.

Thursday night’s loss to the Cardinals was disappointing to be sure, but overall the week turned out pretty good for the Vikings.

Yes Minnesota dropped a little further behind Green Bay in the race for the division but, after Sunday’s early game results, they have gotten a big leg up in the Wild Card race.

In fact, the Vikings right now are looking like near-locks to earn a playoff spot.

The Vikings are 8-5 after their loss to the Cardinals but the two teams allegedly chasing them for the Wild Card are now both 6-7 after dropping their games this weekend.

It got ugly early for the Falcons against the Panthers and Atlanta never recovered, falling to Cam Newton and Carolina by a 38-0 score.

The Falcons right now do not look like legitimate contenders. At all.

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Meanwhile, the supposedly surging Tampa Bay Buccaneers also hit a bump in the road, falling to the New Orleans Saints 24-17.

Who else in the NFC has a real chance to challenge the Vikings? Right now it looks like no one.

Of course the Vikings themselves still have to take care of their business and win some more games. The next two games, against the Bears and Giants, fall firmly in the “winnable” category.

That final game against the Packers could be tough, but it’s possible that the Vikings will already have locked down a playoff spot by the time it rolls around.

With a two game lead on their nearest competitors and just three games left to play, the Vikings are definitely in the driver’s seat. A win this week would go a long way toward clinching the postseason.

We’ll see how it goes.