B/R
The Minnesota Vikings have clinched a playoff berth thanks to their rival Green Bay Packers.
A Packers win over the Seattle Seahawks helped the Vikings clinch a spot in the postseason, with Minnesota still yet to play its Week 15 game against the Chicago Bears.
Here’s a look at the latest playoff brackets and standings through Sunday’s games. Note that the bracket is reseeded after the wild-card round, with the highest-seeded team hosting the lowest-seeded team.
Current NFC Playoff Bracket
1. Detroit Lions (Wild Card Round bye)
7. Washington Commanders at 2. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Green Bay Packers at 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. Minnesota Vikings at 4. Los Angeles Rams
2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6)
4. Los Angeles Rams (8-6)
5. Minnesota Vikings (11-2)
6. Green Bay Packers (10-4)
7. Washington Commanders (9-5)
8. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)
9. Arizona Cardinals (7-7)
10. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)
11. San Francisco 49ers (6-8)
13. New Orleans Saints (5-9)
15. Carolina Panthers (3-11)
16. New York Giants (2-12)
1. Kansas City Chiefs (13-1) – clinched AFC West
2. Buffalo Bills (11-3) – clinched AFC East
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) – clinched playoff berth
4. Houston Texans (9-5) – clinched AFC South
5. Baltimore Ravens (9-5)
7. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-8)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8)
12. Cleveland Browns (3-11)
13. New England Patriots (3-11)
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11)
15. Tennessee Titans (3-11)
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)
The Vikings have enjoyed a tremendous season. thanks to a well-balanced team with a Top 10 offense and defense.
At the top, head coach Kevin O’Connell has proven to be the real deal, guiding the team to the playoffs in two of his three seasons. He’s also propelled Minnesota to an impressive turnaround after a disappointing 7-10 season last year that saw the team lose Kirk Cousins midway through the campaign due to a torn Achilles.
The 2024 Vikings have lived on the edge a bit, winning seven of their games by one score. But this has ultimately been an impressive squad with fantastic performances on both sides of the ball.
Of note, quarterback Sam Darnold has been a revelation after being brought in as a bridge veteran until rookie J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, was ready to play. But Darnold became further entrenched as QB1 after McCarthy unfortunately suffered a torn meniscus during a preseason game, keeping him out for all of 2024.
Darnold is on his fifth team since joining the NFL as the No. 3 overall pick of the New York Jets in 2018. It didn’t work out with Gang Green, and his chance to find a home in Carolina as a starter there fell by the wayside too. A year as Brock Purdy’s backup in San Francisco in 2023 led to a new opportunity with Minnesota, and he ran with it en route to great success with the Vikings.
Running back Aaron Jones and wide receiver Justin Jefferson carry the Vikings’ offense with 1,000-yard seasons apiece. The Vikings also got a midseason boost with the return of tight end T.J. Hockenson from a torn ACL and MCL as well.
On defense, the Vikings went into this season needing to overcome the big blow of losing star pass-rusher Danielle Hunter in free agency to the Houston Texans. But they’ve managed to do that just fine thanks largely to the efforts of Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Patrick Jones II. Van Ginkel, a free agent from the Miami Dolphins, has also authored two pick-sixes.
The secondary has been a playmaking group as well, with Byron Murphy looking like a surefire Pro Bowler and potential All-Pro. The 35-year-old Harrison Smith, in his 13th NFL season (all with Minnesota) still forms the backbone of the Vikings defense too.
Ultimately, the Vikings have positioned themselves as a formidable threat this year and a darkhorse to potentially win the first Super Bowl in franchise history.
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Brady Henderson, ESPNDec 16, 2024, 01:50 AM ETCloseBrady Henderson is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Henderson covers the Seattle Seahawks. He joined ESPN i