The Minnesota Vikings are going to the playoffs regardless of Sunday night’s outcome against the Detroit Lions. Seeding is still on the line, though. A victory would give them home-field advantage and a bye week as the NFC’s No. 1 seed. But a loss would drop them to the No. 5 seed, forcing them to play on the road in the wild-card round.
If the Vikings secured the No. 1 seed, they would play the lowest-remaining seed in the NFC playoffs. This could be any team in the playoffs besides the Philadelphia Eagles, who are already locked into the No. 2 seed.
It remains to be seen where the Vikings will play if they end up with the No. 5 seed. Six of the seven NFC teams are determined, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons battling to win the NFC South.
The Bucs host the New Orleans Saints this Sunday. Atlanta will face the Carolina Panthers. Tampa Bay will clinch the NFC South with a win, while a loss and Atlanta win would get the Falcons in. If the seeding doesn’t change, the Vikings would currently head to Tampa Bay or Atlanta.
But the Los Angeles Rams could complicate things. Although they haven’t secured the No. 3 seed, head coach Sean McVay confirmed they will rest their starters against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18.
This is a surprising decision, considering the Rams could drop to the No. 4 seed with a loss and a Bucs win. That would lead them to host the loser of the Vikings-Lions game. A Rams win in Week 18 would lock them into the No. 3 seed.
A Vikings victory in the wild card round could potentially set up a rematch with the Lions. If the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers, who are both locked into either the No. 6 or 7 seeds, were to lose, the Vikings would be the lowest-remaining seed. That would send them to Ford Field for the second time in three weeks.
If either the Commanders or Packers won their games, the Vikings would travel to Philadelphia as the highest-remaining seed. This might be the least desirable outcome, as the Eagles have ended promising Vikings seasons before.
An NFC North rematch could still happen if the Vikings get the No. 1 seed. The Lions would travel to Minnesota if the above scenario were to play out for them. But if the Packers won and were the lowest-remaining seed, the Vikings would host them for the second time in four weeks.
There is an outside chance the Vikings, as the No. 5 seed, could host a playoff game in the divisional round. If they win, and the Packers and Commanders win their games, the Vikings would host the No. 7 seed.
Week 18’s matchup against the Lions determines who will get the NFC’s top seed. But it may not be the final time the Vikings and Lions face off this season.