The Minnesota Vikings suffered their third-straight loss. Following an exciting victory over the Lions in J.J. McCarthy’s return to the field, Minnesota has experienced some poor performances and late-game setbacks that fell short. Today, that hasn’t been the case, as the Packers have dominated Minnesota from the start, dropping to 4-7.
Minnesota’s Playoff Hopes Dwindle
The Vikings can kiss any hope of making the playoffs goodbye. Well, they won’t be mathematically eliminated, but it will require quite a miracle. Seven losses is always a number that teams don’t want to hit unless it’s near the end of the season.
The Vikings are going to drop to seven losses, and with a few tough games remaining against the Lions, Seahawks, and Packers, it’s hard to imagine they will be playing in the playoffs.
Their offense has been very shaky over the last few games. McCarthy has struggled mightily. He’s shown a few flashes of brilliance, especially in that fourth quarter against the Bears in Week 1. Even in that game, he looked largely unconvincing for the majority of the game. In Week 12, he threw two interceptions for 87 yards.
He hasn’t been completing his passes at a high percentage, he’s been getting sacked a lot, and turning the ball over more than he’s getting his team in the end zone. This is not a recipe for success, and the offense is suffering. McCarthy ranks 35th in PFSN’s QB Impact score with a grade of 55.4. This is very concerning, as there are only 32 spots for starting QBs, and he ranks below 32nd.
Justin Jefferson is one of the most dynamic players in the NFL, but has been ineffective over the last few games, with no games over 61 yards. Jordan Addison is another receiver who hasn’t clicked with McCarthy. Addison didn’t record a single catch in Week 12 against the Packers.
According to PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor, the Vikings currently have just a 1.90% chance to make the playoffs.
With the offensive struggles, it’s not realistic to envision the Vikings rattling off six straight wins to end the season and get themselves in contention. They will need plenty of help if they can win enough games to keep themselves in the hunt. The NFC North has so much talent that the Vikings haven’t been able to hang with.
The Vikings sit at 11th in the NFC after their loss. They would need to overtake four teams in the next six weeks to make the playoffs. With their schedule, it might be time to fire up the mock drafts and see what prospects they could add for next season.
