Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears: 5 keys to victory in week 8

5 keys to victory in week 8: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

Dec 20, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Eddie Royal (19) runs after the catch in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks (54) at TCF Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

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Oct 9, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer looks on prior to the game against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

#3. Defend the NFC North

It is week 8 of the NFL season and the Minnesota Vikings have yet to really dive into their division schedule. So far, the team has only played the Green Bay Packers in their week 2 home opener, which means 5 division games remain out of the 10 regular season matchups on the schedule.

As fans know, winning your division ensures that you get a home field game in the playoffs. Whether you end up with a bye in the Wild Card round or not, the Vikings have proven that they play better at home, with a 9-2 record between the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Not only are division wins great for bragging rights and positioning in the standings, but there is a chance it could come down to who won the most games in the NFC North when determining who will be called the division champions and who is a Wild Card team. That should be extra motivation for Minnesota.

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