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Vikings catch breaks for clearer path to NFC's top seed

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Doug Kezirian | Last updated Dec 24, 2024 8:39 AM ET

The NFC North has been the best division all year. The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings are each 13-2 and the Green Bay Packers are 11-4.

The Lions have moved the needle all season, drawing all sorts of attention. The offense ranks first in points per game and second in yards per game. The Packers have also generated a lot of interest, given the franchise's popularity. However, the Vikings are the one that controls its own destiny.

In the offseason, they made a move that didn’t grab too many national headlines but now is looking like it was one of the top transactions. Minnesota signed quarterback Sam Darnold to a one-year deal for $10 million. Darnold, the third overall draft pick in 2018, has been a bit of a journeyman the last few years. After three seasons with the New York Jets, he went to the Carolina Panthers for two years and then the San Francisco 49ers last season.

Darnold sits sixth in the league in total passing yards with 3,776 and fifth in passing touchdowns with 32.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell is also receiving credit for the surprise season. As it stands now, O’Connell is the consensus betting favorite for coach of the year with -370 odds at FanDuel.

An important stat to note, is that the Vikings started the year off with a win total set at 6.5. They hit that mark in Week 10 of the season after beginning with an impressive 5-0 record.

The Vikings have been doing all of this without their first round draft pick, JJ McCarthy, who they selected with the 10th pick in the NFL Draft. He suffered a torn meniscus in the preseason, which propelled Darnold into the starting role.

Looking ahead, the Vikings' path to the top seed seems attainable. The Lions are the current favorite with -300 odds, while the Vikings sit at +310. If the Lions win out, they clinch the one seed. The same goes for Minnesota, since they face each other in Week 18. In Week 17, the Lions face the San Francisco 49ers while the Vikings host the Packers as 1.5-point favorites.

Other scenarios are as follows:

In Week 17 if the Lions beat the 49ers and the Vikings lose to the Packers, Detroit will clinch the one seed. (Even if the Vikings beat the Lions in Week 18, Detroit would still hold the tiebreaker).
If the Lions beat the 49ers but Vikings win out, Detroit would go on the road in a wild card game at 14-3
If the Vikings beat the Lions, 49ers beat the Lions and Eagles lose at least once, Minnesota gets it.
The Eagles still have a chance but they need to beat the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, Vikings to lose to the Packers, and Lions lose to the 49ers and Vikings.

After their loss last week, the Philadelphia Eagles have +1600 odds to get the one seed.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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