No dominant teams in the NFC this season
Through the first 11 weeks of the year, the Vikings are one of five teams in the NFC who have already won at least eight games. The conference is full of talented squads this season, however, none of them seem to truly be unbeatable.
Even with a 9-1 record, the San Francisco 49ers are coming off a week in which they barely escaped with a victory over a three-win Arizona Cardinals team. The 49ers have been able to get a lot of wins this year, but they’ve also had plenty of vulnerable moments that a team like Minnesota could expose in the playoffs.
San Francisco’s main competition in the NFC West this season has come from the 8-2 Seattle Seahawks. Both of the Seahawks’ losses this year have come against two talented teams (New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens). But five of Seattle’s eight wins have also only been by a margin of four points or less, so they don’t leave a lot of room for error.
Over in the NFC South, the Saints are also currently sitting with an 8-2 record. They were able to get an impressive win over the Seahawks in Week 3, but six of New Orleans’ other seven victories this season have come against teams who likely won’t be earning a spot in this year’s playoff bracket.
Plus, the Saints recently suffered a 17-point loss to an Atlanta Falcons team that had just one win before the matchup. So New Orleans is far from unbeatable this season.
That brings us to the 8-2 Green Bay Packers, who might be the biggest frauds in the entire NFC. The Packers’ defense has given up the fifth-most yards in the NFL this year and their two losses are to teams with a combined record of 9-12.
When Green Bay is firing on all cylinders, they’re tough for anyone to defeat. But so far this year, they have proven that no matchup is a guaranteed victory for them regardless of their opponent’s record.