The Minnesota Vikings picked up an important, albeit extremely ugly, victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14. It was an important one to keep their playoff hopes alive as they watched their grip on a Wild Card spot slip after a two-game losing streak.
Minnesota has some things to figure out, namely the starting quarterback position after Joshua Dobbs was benched in the fourth quarter against the Raiders. Backup Nick Mullens was able to get the team in position for a game-winning field goal, leading to the victory.
Star wide receiver Justin Jefferson was injured again, hurting his chest on a bone-crushing hit from Raiders safety Marcus Epps. Offensive lineman Brian O’Neill and running back Alexander Mattison are also dealing with injuries.
That victory helped improve the Vikings’ chances of making the playoffs and they can thank the New York Giants for increasing them even more. The Giants hosted the Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium on Monday Night Football and picked up an improbably 24-22 victory.
That win dropped the Packers’ record to 6-7, which is music to the ears of Vikings fans, who relish watching their NFC North rivals lose. With the Green Bay loss, Minnesota moves one step closer to earning a playoff spot as well.
NFL News & Rumors: Joshua Dobbs, Justin Jefferson, Kevin O’Connell, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings Updates
According to Purple FTW! Podcast on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Vikings odds of making the playoffs went from 57 percent to 63 percent with the Packers’ loss. Had Green Bay won the game, those odds would have assuredly dropped.
While that is certainly a nice boost for the Vikings, the job is far from done. They have a huge game on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15, who are fighting for their own playoff lives in the AFC.
After that, the Vikings close the season with three divisional games. They play the Detroit Lions twice, which are huge games, but the most important one comes in Week 16 against the Packers. That could essentially be an elimination game, as the loser would watch their chances of making the postseason take a major hit.
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