The Minnesota Vikings host the Chicago Bears for Monday Night Football at U.S. Bank Stadium already knowing they’re heading to the NFC Playoffs.
The Vikings clinched a playoff spot after the Green Bay Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks 30-13 on Sunday Night Football. At worst, they’ll be a Wild Card team. That said, there’s a lot to play for with four regular season games remaining.
Why it matters
The Vikings are headed to the postseason for the second time in three seasons under Kevin O’Connell. They went 13-4 in his inaugural season to win the NFC North. Last year, they finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs.
Can they still win the NFC North?
Yes. The Detroit Lions had a 12-game win streak snapped in a loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday to drop to 12-2. If the Vikings beat the Bears Monday night, they would win their seventh straight and improve to 12-2. The Lions hold the tiebreakers by virtue of their win at U.S. Bank Stadium, so the Vikings would have to win out to finish 15-2, including a win at Detroit in the regular season finale.
That would give the Vikings a No. 1 seed, first round bye and home field throughout the NFC Playoffs. At 11-2, the Vikings are currently the No. 5 seed.
The schedules
The Vikings host the Bears Monday, head to Seattle next Sunday, host the Packers Dec. 29 and then head to Ford Field. The Lions have consecutive road games at Chicago and at San Francisco before hosting the Vikings.
There’s a very real chance that Week 18 between the Vikings and Lions at Ford Field could be for the NFC North title. The Lions won the division last year, then lost a nailbiter to the 49ers in the NFC title game.