What’s The Vikings Path To The Playoffs After Big Week 14 Win?

While it will take a lot of help, the Minnesota Vikings are still mathematically in the playoff hunt. Their big Week 14 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday (December 7) is one piece to the puzzle of making that mathematical miracle happen.

Now, I want to be very clear here. The Vikings still have less than a 1% chance of making the NFL Playoffs based on the latest update from NFL.com's playoff picture.

Minnesota is in the bottom slot of the 4 remaining "on the bubble" teams with the 11th seed, behind the Cowboys, Panthers, and Lions, who are also all on the outside looking in if the season ended today. But it doesn't, which is why we're having this conversation.

Again, seeing the Vikings actually make the playoffs in 2025 after their 5-8 start to the season has very low odds. But there is a path to it happening. It's complicated with a lot of moving pieces, but here's what could help Minnesota get into this year's playoffs.

What the Vikings have control over

Minnesota absolutely needs to win each of its remaining games this season. Their 31-0 win over the Commanders is some positive momentum in that effort.

READ MORE: Minnesotan C.J. Ham Named Vikings 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Nominee

The 5-8 Vikings have the remaining games yet this season; they'd need to win:

• December 14: (6-6-1) Dallas Cowboys on the road on Sunday Night Football
• December 21: (2-11) New York Giants on the road at noon
• December 25: (8-5) Detroit Lions at home at 3:30 pm
• TBD: (9-3-1) Green Bay Packers at home

The Packers, Lions, and Cowboys are likely to be a challenge, but the Cowboys aren't firing on all cylinders, the Vikings beat the Lions earlier this season, and the Packers at US Bank Stadium always has the chance to be a good game.

A reminder - if the Vikings lose one of their remaining games, it's all over. 

What else needs to happen for the Vikings to get into the playoffs?

This is where it gets really complicated. Minnesota just winning its remaining games isn't enough.

There is no one clear path to getting into the playoffs, as factors such as tiebreakers like similar opponent records, come into play. The winner of one game can change all of the variables for the rest of the equation. Yeah, it's really confusing.

If you're trying to figure out who to root for to help the Vikings out, though, here's a look at some of the matchups that can most help increase the Vikings' chances of getting into the playoffs.

Note: The further down this list you go, the more reliant it is on the things mentioned in earlier weeks actually happening. 

Week 15:

• Atlanta @ Tampa Bay - An Atlanta win can help the Vikings
• Cleveland @ Chicago - A Cleveland win can help the Vikings
• Tennessee @ San Francisco - A Tennessee win can help the Vikings
• Carolina @ New Orleans - A New Orleans win can help the Vikings
• Detroit @ LA Rams - An LA win can help the Vikings
• Green Bay @ Denver - A Denver win can help the Vikings

Week 16:

• Green Bay @ Chicago - A Green Bay win can help the Vikings
• Tampa Bay @ Carolina - A Carolina win can help the Vikings
• LA Chargers @ Cowboys - A Chargers win can help the Vikings
• Pittsburgh @ Detroit - A Pittsburgh win can help the Vikings

Week 17:

• Dallas @ Washington - A Washington win can help the Vikings
• Seattle @ Carolina - A Seattle win can help the Vikings
• Chicago @ San Francisco - A San Francisco win can help the Vikings

Week 18: 

• Detroit @ Chicago - A Detroit win can help the Vikings
• Carolina @ Tampa Bay - A Carolina win can help the Vikings

If all of this is parlayed, Minnesota would likely end up a wild-card team in the playoffs. There are other pathways to the Vikings getting into the playoffs, but they are equally as complicated (if not worse).

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Many of these situations would also require some pretty epic collapses of other teams in the NFC North.

So yes, while the Vikings are not mathematically eliminated yet, it will take some pretty significant amounts of help.