How many wins will it take for the Vikings to win the NFC North?

Halfway through the 2019 season, the NFC North has emerged as one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. What will it take for the Minnesota Vikings to finish on top?

The Minnesota Vikings started their 2019 season at 2-2 with both losses on the road to their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Since then though, the Vikings have won four consecutive games, all by double digits.

Minnesota’s offense, especially quarterback Kirk Cousins, has played very well and they are a big reason for the turnaround.

What is the issue though?

The Packers keep on winning too. They are currently 7-1 and they have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Vikings right now after defeating them in Week 2.

Minnesota’s toughest remaining game is on the road against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13. This Sunday at Kansas City could be a tough one depending on whether Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes plays or not.

The Vikings upcoming road matchup in Week 10 against the Dallas Cowboys will be very interesting as well. A lot will depend on what Cowboys team shows up though.

Both Green Bay and Minnesota could very well finish 12-4 this season, but will that record be enough for the Vikings to win the North? For starters, Minnesota absolutely has to beat the Packers at home inside U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 16 to avoid losing the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Green Bay has also yet to lose a divisional game this year. The Vikings probably need to finish 4-2 in the division to finish in first this season, which could also end up being the same NFC North record as the Packers this year.

During their final eight games of 2019, Green Bay has to face the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers on the road in addition to their trip to U.S. Bank Stadium. All three matchups could be losses for the Packers, which could give them a 12-4 record.

Playing the Los Angeles Chargers on the road this week could perhaps be a trap game for Green Bay and facing the Carolina Panthers in Week 10 will not be an easy contest either.

Maybe the Packers could finish 11-5, but either way, the best scenario for Minnesota would be to finish 12-4 or better this season. 11-5 will likely be good enough to get a wild card berth in the NFC playoffs this year, but winning the division would give the Vikings an easier path in the postseason since it would guarantee them at least one home game.

The Bears and Lions at the moment do not look like they will be challenging for the division crown this year. But you can bet they will still want to spoil their rivals’ season as much as possible.

This second half race is going to be very exciting. Buckle up Vikings and Packer fans.