The race for the #2 Seed (Vikes vs 49'ers)

[purplefaithful]

Vikings 3 winnable games (or not?)
Giants: At home, but will there be a hangover from Colts? See post Bills game
@ Lamblow? We're the better team and Vikings are 3/3/1 there most recently
@ Chicago? Soldier Field hasn't been kind to Vikings, but we're the better team

Remaining 49'ers:
Washington
@ Raiders
Cardinals

[Guest]

What will be, will be. The 49ers looks good. Bring it on. Whomever gets the #2 seed will have deserved it regardless. 

[Guest]

Meh, its all been fun.  Philly, Dallas and San Fransisco seem to be better NFC teams then us. It's going to require Case Kenum's horse shoe and all the karma of Viking's ghost's past to get through all that.  Then you have to be able to beat the Chiefs, Dolphins or Bills in the Super Bowl.
The great thing is we're even talking about this.  It wasn't supposed to be this type of year.

[Guest]

The better team will be determined on the field! Divisional games at their place in the cold are always a challenge. I am intrigued more by the possibility of having Detroit come to US Bank stadium for the first round of the playoffs. That could be one heck of a game.

[Guest]

@jargomcfargo said:
The better team will be determined on the field! Divisional games at their place in the cold are always a challenge. I am intrigued more by the possibility of having Detroit come to US Bank stadium for the first round of the playoffs. That could be one heck of a game.

Nobody is talking about the Bucs...

For some odd reason I would not want to face Brady post-season. 

[Guest]

Philly controls their own destiny to the #1 seed. 


Eagles play @ Dallas , New Orleans and NY Giants.


FWIW none of those teams have been eliminated from the playoffs, yet


There's no way the Vikings get the #1 seed, right?

#weirdshithappens

[Guest]

@Mattyman said:
Philly controls their own destiny to the #1 seed. 


Eagles play @ Dallas , New Orleans and NY Giants.


FWIW none of those teams have been eliminated from the playoffs, yet


There's no way the Vikings get the #1 seed, right?

#weirdshithappens

After seeing the results of the vikings games this year, no way I say no way.

[Guest]

@greediron said:

@Mattyman said:
Philly controls their own destiny to the #1 seed. 


Eagles play @ Dallas , New Orleans and NY Giants.


FWIW none of those teams have been eliminated from the playoffs, yet


There's no way the Vikings get the #1 seed, right?

#weirdshithappens

After seeing the results of the vikings games this year, no way I say no way.

The Eagles wrap up the #1 seed with one more win though correct?  Or 1 more Viking loss?....assuming SF doesn't somehow hold a tiebreaker over them in a crazy scenario where SF wins out and Philly loses out. 

[Guest]

If the playoffs were to start now, the Vikings would open at home against the Washington Commanders.The Vikings (11-3) are currently the No. 2 seed in the NFC and the Commanders (7-6-1) are No. 7 after their 20-12 home loss Sunday night to the New York Giants, who are No. 6. The Vikings won 20-17 at Washington on Nov. 6. The Giants (8-5-1) face Minnesota on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Minnesota, which clinched the NFC North with a 39-36 overtime win Saturday over Indianapolis, has little hope of moving up to the No. 1 seed. The magic number is one for Philadelphia (13-1) over both the Vikings and fellow NFC East team Dallas (10-4) to clinch the top seed after the Eagles won 25-20 Sunday at Chicago.
The Vikings have a higher probability of moving down than up. They have a one-game lead over No. 3 San Francisco (10-4), but the 49ers would win any tiebreaker.
https://www.twincities.com/2022/12/18/if-playoffs-were-to-start-now-vikings-would-open-against-commanders/

[Guest]

Kevin O'Connell and Vikings will try to balance player health and playoff seedingOne loss in the final three games could jeopardize the Vikings' current slot at No. 2 in the NFC. But the team needs healthy stars, too.The Vikings clinched the NFC North and a home playoff game for the first time since 2017, but head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday they're "still on the hunt" for improvement and to maintain the No. 2 seed with three regular-season games left.
"But that does not mean snap counts don't need to be monitored," O'Connell said. "We'll take a look at each individual situation to make sure the priority is having a healthy team and having the best possible version of our team when we get to the playoffs."
The Vikings (11-3) could end up with the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NFC playoff race. The top seed is not impossible, but it's farfetched. The Eagles (13-1) would have to lose the remaining three games while the Vikings win out against the Giants, Packers and Bears.
Maintaining the second spot over the San Francisco 49ers (10-4) is important to O'Connell, who noted the homefield advantage of U.S. Bank Stadium, where a second playoff game would be held if the Vikings win a playoff opener as the No. 2 seed. Winning the last three games accomplishes that goal. One loss and they could fall behind the 49ers, who currently own the tiebreaker with Minnesota thanks to fewer conference losses.
"We should try to be hunting playing as many home games as we possibly can," he said.
But O'Connell will have to balance winning with preparing a veteran-laden roster for the playoffs. Edge rusher Za'Darius Smith (knee), receiver Adam Thielen (knee) and linebacker Eric Kendricks (hip) are among the starters playing through issues. Younger players, including rookie linebacker Brian Asamoah, who played a career-high 21 defensive snaps against the Colts, could get more run as the regular season ends.
"We do have some guys that we're finding ways to not only give them some time here and there," O'Connell said, "but also [develop] players we're excited to see continue grow behind those guys."
https://www.startribune.com/kevin-oconnell-vikings-player-health-playoff-seeding-nfc-justin-jefferson/600237317/