Which teams do Vikings beat out via tiebreakers for the NFL Playoffs?

Life is good for the Minnesota Vikings as they head into their Week 14 matchup with Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons.

With a wild 23-22 comeback victory over the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium this past Sunday, Kevin O'Connell & Co. upped their winning streak to five and improved to 10-2 on the season, thus keeping themselves just one game back of the 11-1 Detroit Lions in the NFC North and maintaining their position as the top wild-card team in the conference.

Presently the No. 5 seed in the NFC, the Vikes own a one-game lead over the Green Bay Packers (No. 6, 9-3) and hold a three-game advantage in the loss column over the Washington Commanders (No. 7, 8-5).

They're also up a full four games on the top three teams currently on the outside looking in, those being the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cardinals, and the Los Angeles Rams, all of whom enter Week 14 with 6-6 records.

So, at this point, it's not really a matter of if the Vikings will make the NFL Playoffs but a matter of when they'll punch their ticket. And that may happen as soon as this Sunday.

First, the Vikings would need to ruin Cousins' homecoming and knock off the Falcons. Then, they'd need the Cardinals to lose to the Seattle Seahawks and the Rams to lose to the Buffalo Bills. If all three of those things happen, all of which are highly possible, Minnesota is in for the second time in three years.

So, again, life is good in the North Star State.

While the Vikings still have five games remaining, it's not too early to start wondering about where they'll be seeded come playoff time, whether as a division winner or a wild-card team. And tiebreakers could undoubtedly come into play in either scenario. With that in mind, let's have a look at the advantages (or disadvantages) Minnesota has in that department.

Tiebreaker scenarios for the Minnesota Vikings

Let's first get into Minnesota's situation in the NFC North.

Detroit Lions

The Vikings need the Lions to lose at least one more game down the stretch to have any chance of winning the NFC North. And that could very well happen soon, as Detroit kicks off Week 14 against the Packers and then has a date with the red-hot Bills in Week 15.

As Minnesota lost to Dan Campbell's crew back in Week 7, the Lions would still own the head-to-head tiebreaker even if the Vikings catch them in the next couple of weeks. The two teams will meet in Week 18 and if Minnesota can win that second meeting, the next tiebreaker would be record within the division, which Detroit would currently win as well.

The Lions also own the next two tiebreakers, those being record in common games and record within the conference, so the Vikings will need some help regardless of whether they win that Week 18 showdown.

Green Bay Packers

As mentioned, the Vikings own a one-game lead on the Packers at the moment., They also currently own the head-to-head tiebreaker due to their 31-29 victory over Green Bay in Week 4, with a second meeting set for Week 17.

A loss to Green Bay there could easily hurt Minnesota, and that applies to both the division race and the wild-card race.

On that note, it's important to remember that while the order of tiebreakers can be different when competing for a division title versus a wild-card spot, the wild-card tiebreaker is only different when the teams are from different divisions. So, the following scenario could apply if the Lions stumble and the Vikings and Packers are competing to win the NFC North or if they're battling for a wild-card berth.

If Green Bay beats Minnesota in Week 17, the head-to-head tiebreaker is out, and we're back to record within the division, which could easily be the same.

Then, we're into record in common games, and it's here where Green Bay currently has an advantage. Both have lost to the Lions once at this point. The Vikings' only other loss this year came in Week 8 to the Los Angeles Rams, who the Packers beat in Week 5. So, this could come into play.

If things go a step further, we look at record within the conference, where the Vikings currently hold the edge, as all three of the Packers' defeats have been at the hands of NFC teams, those being the Vikings, the Lions, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

As neither Minnesota nor Green Bay has any remaining games against AFC opponents, every win and every loss over the final five weeks will be crucial.

Philadelphia Eagles

If the Vikings end up winning the NFC North, the only team they'd likely be battling for seeding among the four division champs would be the Eagles, who currently sit atop the NFC East with the same 10-2 record as Minnesota.

These two teams don't play one another this season, so there would be no head-to-head tiebreaker to consider. The next tiebreaker would be record within the conference, which the Eagles currently hold at 6-2, with the Vikings at 5-2.

Philly still has one AFC opponent remaining as they face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15, so the number of conference games will be the same at season's end. So, if both the Eagles and Vikings win out, they'll have identical 10-2 marks against the NFC.

So, we're back to common games, and here's where that loss to LA comes into play once again, as the Eagles knocked off the Rams in Week 12. That said, however, the Vikings can even the score here on Sunday with a win over the Falcons, who defeated the Eagles in dramatic fashion all the way back in Week 2. Philly's loss to the Buccaneers wouldn't matter, as Minnesota doesn't face Tampa Bay.

If necessary, the fourth tiebreaker here would be strength of victory, an edge currently held by Philadelphia. The Eagles' 10 wins thus far have come against opponents with a cumulative .418 winning percentage, while the Vikings' 10 wins have come against opponents with a combined .393 winning percentage.

Washington Commanders

With no head-to-head matchup with the Commanders, the first tiebreaker with Washington in the wild-card race would be record within the conference. The Vikings currently have the edge here at 6-2, while the Commanders are 5-3 against the NFC thus far.

As mentioned, Washington is three back of Minnesota in the loss column with just five games to go, so there isn't much to worry about here just yet.

At this point, these are really the only four teams the Vikings have to concern themselves with — unless they stumble hard and find themselves in a tiebreaker situation with the Rams, that is. But that doesn't seem likely.