NFL Standings – Week 12: Vikings lead in NFC North grows even larger
By Adam Patrick
Following Week 12 of the 2022 NFL season, where do the Minnesota Vikings fall in terms of the NFC North and NFC standings?
Heading into Week 12, the Minnesota Vikings already had a sizeable lead in the NFC North. But thanks to each of the three other teams in the division losing on Sunday and the Vikings getting a win over the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving, the lead in the NFC North is even larger than it was a week ago for the purple and gold.
In fact, if Minnesota is able to get a victory over the New York Jets in Week 13 and the Detroit Lions also tie or lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday, then the Vikings will clinch the NFC North crown while still having five games left on their regular-season schedule.
If Minnesota can clinch their division title next weekend, they would become the seventh team in NFL history to lock up the top spot in their division with five weeks still remaining in the season.
NFC North Standings after Week 12
- 1. Minnesota Vikings (9-2)
- 2. Detroit Lions (4-7)
- 3. Green Bay Packers (4-8)
- 4. Chicago Bears (3-9)
Even if the Vikings don’t defeat the Jets next Sunday or the Lions somehow manage to beat the Jaguars, it still shouldn’t take much longer for the NFC North title to be awarded to Minnesota.
In order for the Vikings to not win their division this year, they would basically have to lose all of their remaining games in addition to the Lions or Green Bay Packers winning all of the matchups left on their respective schedules.
Minnesota fans have seen plenty of craziness over the years, but the current chances of their favorite team not winning the NFC North this season are currently less than one percent, according to FiveThirtyEight.