4 biggest takeaways from the Vikings win over the Jaguars in Week 13
By Adam Patrick
Minnesota is four weeks away from making history
Raise your hand if you thought back in Week 6 when the Vikings were 1-5 that they would be in the middle of the NFC playoff race with four weeks left in the season. Okay, if you raised your hand, put it down because you’re lying.
Not even the most optimistic people in Minnesota’s fan base thought they could turn things around after opening up the year with losses in five of their first six games. But the Vikings clearly made the necessary adjustments during their bye week and it has resulted in them climbing their way back to a .500 record during the last six weeks.
In the entire history of the NFL, only three teams have gone on to make the playoffs after starting a season with a 1-5 record. If things go right for Minnesota during the next four weeks, then they will become the fourth team to accomplish this rare feat.
FiveThirtyEight currently has the Vikings favored in two of their final four games. Only getting two more wins and finishing the season with an 8-8 record is probably going to make getting into the playoffs pretty difficult for Minnesota.
If the Vikings want to improve their postseason chances and not be forced to depend on things that are out of their control, getting at least three victories in their final four matchups is what will need to happen. This should be enough to result in Minnesota earning a spot in the playoffs for the second year in a row.