4 games that will impact the Vikings playoff chances in Week 14

Game 3:

Houston Texans at Chicago Bears

• Game Time: Sunday, 12:00 pm CT (CBS)
• Who Needs to Win: Texans

The best news right now is that the Bears look like the wheels are falling off their wagon. After a red-hot start to the season, Chicago has lost six straight games, one of those being to the Vikings in Week 10.

Still, the Bears are 5-7 and only one game behind Minnesota in the NFC standings. If Chicago gets hot at the right time and the Vikings falter with some of the tougher matchups on their schedule, a spot in the playoffs could come down to the result of the showdown between the Bears and Minnesota in Week 15.

For the most part, any time an NFC team plays an AFC team, it is preferred that the AFC team get the win. This is especially true if the NFC team is still in the hunt for a playoff spot toward the end of the season.

Creating some separation from Chicago would give Minnesota some breathing room and, hopefully, more losses will eventually eliminate their NFC North rival from the playoff picture. But, for now, the Bears are still a bit of a threat.

Sadly, this is another game to watch the score closely since it will be happening at the same time as the Vikings’ matchup with the Bucs.