While the Minnesota Vikings dropped to 4-5 on the year with their Week 10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, they're certainly not out of playoff contention.
While the Vikes currently sit in last place in the NFC North, which has once again proven to be one of the best overall divisions in the league, they only trail the Detroit Lions (6-3) and Chicago Bears (6-3), both of whom they've already beaten, by two games. For those wondering, the Lions get the first-place nod due to their 52-21 win over the Bears back in Week 2.
As for the wild-card race, Minnesota is a touch closer in that regard, as the Green Bay Packers hold the No. 7 slot at the moment with a record of 5-3-1. So, again, the Vikings are nowhere near out of it.
That said, though, they obviously can't afford to lose a large number of games coming down the stretch. As for their remaining schedule, here's a quick look at what Minnesota's slate looks like the rest of the way, with each opponent's current record listed as well.
- Week 11: vs. Chicago Bears (6-3)
- Week 12: at Green Bay Packers (5-3-1)
- Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks (7-2)
- Week 14: vs. Washington Commanders (3-7)
- Week 15: at Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1)
- Week 16: at New York Giants (2-8)
- Week 17: vs. Detroit Lions (6-3)
- Week 18: vs. Green Bay Packers (5-3-1)
Remaining strength of schedule for all 32 NFL teams, including the Minnesota Vikings, heading into Week 11
Now, let's have a look at where the Vikings' remaining strength of schedule over these final eight weeks ranks among all 32 teams.
Rank | Team | Remaining Games | Opp. Win Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Carolina Panthers | 7 | .569 |
T2 | Indianapolis Colts | 7 | .562 |
T2 | Arizona Cardinals | 8 | .562 |
T2 | Chicago Bears | 8 | .562 |
T5 | Detroit Lions | 8 | .548 |
T5 | Los Angeles Rams | 8 | .547 |
7 | Seattle Seahawks | 8 | .547 |
8 | Kansas City Chiefs | 8 | .546 |
9 | Green Bay Packers | 8 | .541 |
10 | Los Angeles Chargers | 7 | .539 |
11 | Houston Texans | 8 | .533 |
12 | Washington Commanders | 7 | .523 |
13 | Minnesota Vikings | 8 | .520 |
T14 | Las Vegas Raiders | 8 | .513 |
T14 | New York Jets | 8 | .513 |
16 | Buffalo Bills | 8 | .507 |
T17 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 8 | .500 |
T17 | Denver Broncos | 7 | .500 |
T19 | New York Giants | 7 | .492 |
T19 | San Francisco 49ers | 7 | .492 |
21 | Philadelphia Eagles | 8 | .487 |
22 | Tennessee Titans | 8 | .486 |
23 | Dallas Cowboys | 8 | .480 |
24 | Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | .473 |
25 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 8 | .466 |
26 | Baltimore Ravens | 8 | .459 |
27 | Atlanta Falcons | 8 | .453 |
28 | Cleveland Browns | 8 | .452 |
29 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8 | .447 |
30 | Miami Dolphins | 7 | .439 |
31 | New Orleans Saints | 7 | .354 |
32 | New England Patriots | 7 | .338 |
As you can see, based on current win-loss records, the Vikings have the 13th-toughest remaining schedule, with opponents having a combined winning percentage of .520. It's interesting to note that the Bears (.562), Lions (.548), and Packers (.541) all rank higher than Minnesota.
Of course, the primary reason all four NFC North teams rank in the top half is that there are still so many games to be played within the division, including Minnesota's matchup this Sunday with Chicago. A win here would obviously be big for the Vikings, as a season sweep of the Bears could prove crucial if a head-to-head tiebreaker is needed down the line. And any division win is undoubtedly a big deal for Minnesota if that tiebreaker comes into play, especially if the three others in the division beat up on one another as the season progresses.
The Vikings have already proven they can beat the Lions, which is a good thing for them, and the Packers, whom Minnesota has yet to play, have proven to be very beatable in recent weeks. So, if Minnesota can win two of those three games, that would certainly go a long way.
The Vikes will not be favored when they take on Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13, nor should they be. However, they've got three very winnable games in the three weeks that follow, as they run through the rest of the NFC East with matchups against the Commanders, Cowboys, and Giants, all of whom have been disappointing this season and currently own a combined record of 8-20-1.
The Vikings will undoubtedly need at least five wins over their final eight games to have any chance of making the postseason, and they'll also need some help along the way. Going 6-2 would obviously be better, but we'll just have to see how things shake out.