Minnesota Vikings playoff picture: Minnesota’s updated NFC wild-card prospects to make the 2023 NFL playoffs

Many thought the Vikings were doomed when they began the 2023 NFL season with a 1-4 record. They fought their way back into the wild-card race.

The squad was dealt another setback when quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles and was declared out for the season. The Vikings were written off yet again; nonetheless, they managed to stay alive as their defense sprung to life.

The 2023 season is coming to an end, and the Vikings are in command of their playoff chances. They have a better than 50% chance of making the playoffs and remain the primary danger to the Lions in a division that many thought Detroit had sewn up.

Overall, Kevin O’Connell and company have had a good year. Despite major personnel changes, the squad has proven to be tough and appears to be on the right route to becoming a consistent competitor.

MORE: Vikings-Raiders game is the lowest scoring since NFL merger.

But will the Vikings make the playoffs? Their journey will not be simple, as they face one of the most challenging schedules remaining in the final four weeks of the season. Here’s all you need to know about the Vikings’ playoff chances as they prepare to face the Bengals in Week 15.

The playoff picture for the Minnesota Vikings
With a 7-6 record, the Vikings enter Week 15 of the 2023 NFL season as the NFC’s No. 6 seed.

Minnesota is the only club in the league with a 7-6 record heading into Week 15. There are six teams with a 6-7 record, so the Vikings must beat the Bengals to avoid being stuck in a rut of playoff hopefuls sitting around.500.

The Vikings presently have the front track to a postseason berth due to their one-game advantage over those six teams. It also helps that they have a 2-1 division record — with two terrific games against the Lions and one against the Packers — and a 6-3 conference record. Those strong marks may give Minnesota an advantage in tiebreakers against the teams that emerge from the pack of 6-7 teams to challenge it.

However, if the Vikings win out, they won’t have to worry about those tiebreakers. As a result, they have complete control over their chances of earning a wild-card berth.

The Vikings may also have a chance to win the NFC North. The Lions now lead Minnesota by two games in that division, but the Vikings have two games remaining versus Detroit. If the Vikings win both, they will have a head-to-head tiebreaker versus the Lions. As a result, they should not be ruled out of the divisional competition just yet.

Nonetheless, a wild-card berth is Minnesota’s most likely road to the postseason. Their first step in achieving that will be to defeat the Bengals on the road in Week 15. The Bengals are the favorites in that game, but if the Vikings win, they will be guaranteed the No. 6 seed in the NFC for at least one more week.

The remaining Vikings schedule
According to Tankathon, the Vikings have the sixth-toughest strength of schedule remaining for the 2023 regular season, with a mark of.596. Their opponents had a combined record of 31-21, with only one side having a losing record. The Vikings have the advantage of playing that game at home against the 6-7 Packers.

The schedule for Minnesota’s final four weeks of the season is shown below.

Minnesota enters Week 15 having won six of its past eight games and playing its best defense of the season. However, the team’s offense must live up to its potential in order to challenge these playoff-caliber opponents down the road. That will need Nick Mullens and Justin Jefferson playing and playing well.

The Vikings’ playoff chances have been updated.
According to Sporting News’ NFL season projection model, the Vikings have a 62.3 percent probability of making the playoffs entering Week 15. Their chances of earning a wild-card spot are 49.8 percent, while they have a 12.5 percent probability of winning the NFC North.

A win over the Bengals would strengthen the Vikings’ wild-card chances while putting pressure on the Lions in the NFC North regardless of Detroit’s outcome against Denver. Meanwhile, a loss would make going on a postseason run a bit more of a coin toss, though Minnesota’s postseason odds shouldn’t be significantly reduced by a loss.