Can the Minnesota Vikings stay in the playoff race?

The Minnesota Vikings have lost two straight and are floundering in the NFC playoff race. Can they get it together?

After the Week 12 win over the Atlanta Falcons, I proudly proclaimed the Minnesota Vikings were for real.

Since that Week 12 victory, the Vikings have faltered. Losers of two straight against high-caliber opponents like the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals – teams who should be considered the Vikings’ peers as they are playoff bound – it appears that the Vikings don’t quite have it together.

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Part of this boils down to injuries, especially on defense. Defensive tackle Linval Joseph and safety Harrison Smith have both missed the last two games and are arguably the most critical pieces of that unit. As noted by the AP, injuries continue and will still hamper the 8-5 team.

Part of it also boils down to the offensive approach. Future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson only carried the ball eight times against the Seahawks, but he was also stymied by the Cardinals and averaged just three yards per carry on 23 attempts. During that same time, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered numerous hits and seven sacks.

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Injuries have come at an inopportune time for the Minnesota Vikings, but these can be overcome. The offensive line has struggled, but they can also recover to help this team to victory.

Getting past these tough barriers to success is possible. The real question is when the injuries are healed and the offensive line re-finds its form, can the Vikings compete against the best in the NFC?

This is important to consider as the Vikings push toward the playoffs. With possible easy wins against the Chicago Bears and New York Giants in the next two weeks (though neither opponent should be discounted), the Week 17 game against the Green Bay Packers may prove the turning point for the Vikings’ playoff aspirations. It would serve as a statement win for the Vikings, proving their worth against other NFC playoff teams.

Currently projected as the sixth seed in the NFC playoff picture, it is possible that the Vikings will be able to get into the playoffs even if they drop the game against the Packers in Week 17. That assumes the  other teams “in the hunt” will not be able to win out the Vikings do not falter against the Bears and Giants.

The Vikings should win those two games and if they fail to beat the Packers they will enter the playoffs from a weak position. The Vikings’ losses have all come at the hands of possible playoff teams, with the exception of the San Francisco 49ers. The only true possible playoff team they have beaten is the 8-5 Kansas City Chiefs (currently a wild card projection).

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Staying in the playoff race should not be hard for the Minnesota Vikings. They are capable of beating teams with losing records like the Giants and Bears. Beating the playoff bound teams will be more difficult. It would be surprising if the team missed the playoffs as the road there is easy.

But if the Vikings want to be true contenders in the playoffs, they will need to prove they can beat a playoff team like the Green Bay Packers. Otherwise they may find themselves bounced sooner than they wish.