A trip to the playoffs this season for the Minnesota Vikings is currently about as close to impossible as a team can get without it actually being impossible. But it could remain a possibility for the Vikings if Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders can help them out this weekend.
Heading into Week 15, Minnesota currently has less than a one percent chance to earn a spot in the postseason, according to the latest data from The Athletic.
Most importantly, the Vikings need to get a win on Sunday in their primetime showdown on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. But before a snap is even played in that matchup, Minnesota needs Sanders and the Browns to pull off a major upset.
Playoff chances for Minnesota Vikings depend on Shedeur Sanders and the Cleveland Browns in Week 15
In addition to the Vikings needing to win each of their final four regular-season games to sneak into the playoffs, they also need the Chicago Bears to lose every time they step on the field during the next four weeks.
This is where Sanders and Cleveland come into play.
On Sunday, at 12 p.m. CST, the Browns and their rookie quarterback will face the Bears inside Chicago's Soldier Field. Cleveland is heading into the contest with a 3-10 record, while the Bears are sitting at 9-4 and fuming after suffering a close loss to the Green Bay Packers last week.
As of Friday, Chicago is favored to beat Cleveland by at least 7.5 points, according to the latest odds from the Fanduel Sportsbook.
The Browns are 1-37 since 2011 in away games where they are underdogs by 7.5 points or more, with their only win in this stretch coming back in 2019 when they got a Week 4 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bears haven't lost on their home field since falling to Minnesota in Week 1; however, Sanders is the only quarterback who has led the Browns to a win on the road this season.
Cleveland's rookie signal-caller is also coming off an impressive Week 14 performance, where he threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns while also adding another score with his legs.
Sanders will be taking on a Bears defense that has forced a bunch of turnovers this season, but they've shown to be vulnerable on passing downs, as they rank 28th in the NFL in yards allowed per pass attempt, and they've given up five passing touchdowns in their last two games.
In addition to Sanders having a decent shot to make some plays against a leaky Chicago pass defense, the Browns' defense is likely going to be a big factor in Sunday's outcome.
This season, Cleveland's defense ranks third in the league pressure rate at 41.6 percent, and they'll be taking on a Bears quarterback in Caleb Williams, who ranks dead last in the NFL this year in completion rate when pressured at 36 percent.
Chicago is favored by a significant amount, as they should be, but a victory over the Browns is far from a guarantee for them on Sunday.