Following Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season, where do the Minnesota Vikings fall in terms of the NFC North and NFC standings?
For almost the entire 2022 season, the Minnesota Vikings have held onto the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff standings.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, they dropped down to the No. 3 spot in the conference playoff standings on Sunday after their loss to the Green Bay Packers and the win by the San Francisco 49ers over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Minnesota can get the No. 2 seed back next week if they defeat the Chicago Bears and the 49ers lose to the four-win Arizona Cardinals. But that doesn’t seem likely, so the Vikings should probably just get comfortable as the No. 3 seed in this season’s NFC playoff bracket.
NFC North Standings after Week 17
- 1. Minnesota Vikings (12-4)*
- 2. Detroit Lions (8-8)
- 3. Green Bay Packers (8-8)
- 4. Chicago Bears (3-13)
*Clinched division title
It was a weekend of divisional matchups as Minnesota traveled to Green Bay and Chicago took on the Detroit Lions inside Ford Field.
We know the Vikings were pummeled into the turf by the Packers on Sunday, but the Lions did some pummeling of their own. Detroit manhandled the Bears this weekend, winning by a final score of 41-10.
The Lions and Packers will face off next weekend in a matchup that has major playoff implications. If Green Bay wins, then they clinch a spot in the postseason. Detroit will need a little more help to get into the playoffs as they need to defeat the Packers and then also hope that the five-win Los Angeles Rams beat the Seattle Seahawks.
NFC Standings after Week 17
- 1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)*
- 2. San Francisco 49ers (12-4)**
- 3. Minnesota Vikings (12-4)**
- 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)**
- 5. Dallas Cowboys (12-4)
- 6. New York Giants (9-6-1)
- 7. Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
* Division Leader
** Clinched division
Playoff Matchups if the Season ended after Week 17
Wild-Card Round*
- San Francisco 49ers (2) vs. Seattle Seahawks (7)
- Minnesota Vikings (3) vs. New York Giants (6)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4) vs. Dallas Cowboys (5)
*Philadelphia Eagles get a first-round bye
The Rest
- 8. Detroit Lions (8-8)
- 9. Green Bay Packers (8-8)
- 10. Washington Commanders (7-8-1) (x)
- 11. New Orleans Saints (7-9) (x)
- 12. Carolina Panthers (6-10) (x)
- 13. Atlanta Falcons (6-10) (x)
- 14. Los Angeles Rams (5-11) (x)
- 15. Arizona Cardinals (4-12) (x)
- 16. Chicago Bears (3-13) (x)
(x) Eliminated from playoff contention
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally clinched the NFC South title by defeating the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Bucs are locked into the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoff standings and a first-round matchup against the Dallas Cowboys seems likely.
Following a surprising loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, the Washington Commanders were eliminated from qualifying for this season’s playoffs thanks to their defeat and the Packers getting a win over the Vikings.