The start of the 2025 NFL season brought a ton of euphoria to the Minnesota Vikings. The team was taking a major gamble this year by switching from Sam Darnold, who led them to a 14-3 record in 2024, to first-time starter J.J. McCarthy at the behest of head coach Kevin O’Connell.
For the first three quarters, it seemed like the blatantly wrong choice, but a historic fourth-quarter comeback brought hope that the franchise had found its quarterback for the future.
Unfortunately, an injury in Week 2 forced them to pivot to backup Carson Wentz to take over the offense in his absence. Since a 1-1 start, the team has gone 2-3 over the next six weeks, with their latest outing arguably their worst performance of the season, as they were blown out 37-10 by the Los Angeles Chargers in a Thursday Night Football game.
As they fell to under .500 for the first time all season, their playoff odds were starting to look bleak.
Can the Minnesota Vikings Make the Playoffs?
PFSN’s Playoff Predictor isn’t putting a lot of stock into the idea that the Vikings remain a viable threat to make the postseason this year. Ranked last in the NFC North, it will be an uphill climb for them after McCarthy likely returns in Week 9.
The result against Los Angeles resulted in a humongous swing in the wrong direction for Minnesota, who now has just a 13.20% chance of making the playoffs, per the tool. And it isn’t hard to see why.
They currently rank 12th in the NFC, with every team currently in the bracket having a record of 5-2 or better. The team just ahead of them in the division, the Chicago Bears, also holds a 4-2 record and is looking in from the outside into the postseason.
Unfortunately, the path ahead isn’t an easy one for the Vikings to overcome. Over the next four weeks, they have a divisional matchup against every other team in the NFC North and a clash against the desperate Baltimore Ravens, who should be getting Lamar Jackson back by that point.
But the biggest hurdle for Minnesota is going to be the injuries. Currently, they have five players on the injured reserve list, with additional injuries littering the roster. That has severely impacted their play, particularly at the offensive line.
Ranking as a bottom-10 team in the league, per PFSN’s Offensive Line Impact, their fates might not get much better when McCarthy returns. Through two games, he had thrown for 301 yards and two touchdowns, while costing three interceptions for a passer rating of 67.2.
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where he’s drastically improved from that standard upon his return. But that seems like the only hope fans can have for the franchise to turn its season around moving forward.
