Packers Do Not Need To Worry About Vikings Taking NFC North Crown
Minnesota Vikings were a team that expected to contend with Green Bay this season. At the start of the year, the Vikings started poorly with a 1-5 record. But Minnesota is starting to turn it around. They’ve won the last two games, and now, they’re sniffing the playoffs. With the seven teams in the NFL Playoffs, there is a greater chance that Minnesota could slide in. One journalist, Matt Schneidman, wondered yesterday if the Vikings are the biggest contender to Green Bay’s chances at an NFC North. While that’s probably true, it would take a massive collapse for it to happen.
Is it frowned upon to say the Vikings are easily the second-best team in the NFC North? The Packers aren’t gonna coast to the division, are they?
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 8, 2020
Green Bay has a three-game lead on Minnesota. For something like this to happen, Green Bay would need to lose five of their next eight games, and even then, Minnesota would need a tiebreaker likely. Vikings are not going to undefeated the rest of the way, but there is little room for error with five losses already. The problem for Minnesota is they have a tough schedule down the stretch while Green Bay has more home games. It is hard to see a path where Minnesota surprises Green Bay and contends for the NFC North. They can make the playoffs though in an unpredictable year.
In a lot of ways next week’s Vikings-Bears,’ Monday night matchup is a big indicator for the rest of the season. If the Bears win, they stay two back of Green Bay and have a reasonable shot at making the playoffs. Besides their two Green Bay matchups, Chicago does not play a team above .500 the rest of the way. As for Minnesota, they need this win to get back to 4-5 because their road is much harder. They have road games against Tampa Bay and New Orleans left plus they have a frisky Carolina in a Teddy Bridgewater return game. All of those could be losses and that could mean a 7-9 year.
What Dalvin Cook did the last two weeks was special, but Minnesota’s hole is a big one. There will be a lot of ‘What if’s’ by Christmas time in East Dakota. Vikings-Bears should be fun next Monday night.
Charlie.