Arizona Cardinals clinch playoff berth

The Arizona Cardinals needed a win against the Vikings on Thursday night to clinch a playoff berth. 

Thursday night’s showdown in the desert between Arizona and Minnesota was once thought to be a battle for the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The Vikings recent setbacks made it less about their chances to win the No. 2 seed and pretty much solely about the Cardinals locking up a playoff berth.

Arizona needed a win on Thursday to punch their postseason ticket, and that’s exactly what happened.

With their playoff ticket now punched, the Cardinals are setting their sights on a division title. That can happen this weekend with some help from Baltimore but the most likely outcome will see Arizona lock up the NFC West next weekend.

As it stands now, the Cardinals need the Seahawks to lose on Sunday to the Ravens — which is unlikely. But even if the Seahawks win, the Cardinals are still in the postseason as their ticket has been punched with a win over the Vikings. The Seahawks loss would get the Cardinals the NFC West division title this week, but a Seattle win is pretty much delaying the inevitable.

If the playoffs started today, the Cardinals would be looking skipping Wild Card weekend thanks to their first-round bye — which is something that they will be hunting for now that their ticket is officially punched.