Nov 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell greets quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) after throwing a touchdown pass in the first quarter at Ford Field. Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Where Vikings stand in NFC North, playoff picture after beating Lions

Originally posted on Minnesota Vikings on SI
By Will Ragatz | Last updated Nov 3, 2025 11:14 AM ET

The Vikings' massive upset win over the Lions on Sunday has revived their playoff hopes and given fans a reason to dream about what the rest of this season might hold with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback. The win got the Vikings back to .500 at 4-4, kept them perfect within their division, and breathed life into their season in more ways than one.

It was a nearly a perfect Sunday for Minnesota in the NFC North. Not long before things went final in Detroit, the Packers lost as major home favorites on a walk-off field goal by the Panthers. At around the same time, the Bears were busy blowing a 14-point lead in the final two minutes of their game in Cincinnati, only to score the game-winning touchdown in an absurd 47-42 thriller.

Here's what the NFC North standings look like heading into Week 10:

Green Bay Packers: 5-2-1 (1-0 vs. division)
Detroit Lions: 5-3 (1-2)
Chicago Bears: 5-3 (0-2)
Minnesota Vikings: 4-4 (2-0)

The Vikings are just one game back of the Bears and Lions, who they've already beaten on the road. They'll have a chance to complete a sweep of the Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium in two weeks, and they'll get the same opportunity against the Lions on Christmas Day. They're also just 1.5 games back of the division-leading Packers, with both games still to come against their border rivals. The Vikings' schedule remains tough, but they control their own destiny in the NFC North.

Next week: The Vikings host Lamar Jackson's Ravens and the Packers host the defending champion Eagles on Monday Night Football. The Bears and Lions have easier matchups, with Chicago hosting the 2-7 Giants and Detroit traveling to face the 3-6 Commanders, who lost Jayden Daniels to a gruesome arm injury on Sunday night.

Here's what the broader NFC playoff picture looks like, with the Cowboys set to play the Cardinals on Monday night:

The Vikings' season might have been on the line on Sunday, and they found a way to win. Now they're just one game back of a playoff spot. The race for seven postseason berths in the conference looks like it's going to be extremely competitive in the second half, given the collective strength of both the NFC North and the NFC West.

The Athletic's simulator still gives the Vikings just a 20 percent chance to make the playoffs, but that's up from five percent a week ago. Kevin O'Connell's team needs to find a way to keep winning games against good teams, because it's probably going to take at least a 6-3 finish to get into the dance.