How the Minnesota Vikings Can Make the Playoffs: Through Week 18
The Vikings have a less than 1% chance to get a first-round bye.
The Upshot’s 2022 N.F.L. playoff simulator. See all teamsRead the methodology, or
2022 N.F.L. Playoff Picture:
Each Team’s Path to the Postseason
| Div. | Team | Record | Change in playoffs, last 5 weeks |
Make playoffs |
Win division |
Round 1 bye |
Super Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC East |
Bills ✓ | 13-3 | 100% | 100% | 0% | 15% | |
| AFC East |
Dolphins ✓ | 9-8 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 1% | |
| AFC East |
Patriots ✗ | 8-9 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| AFC East |
Jets ✗ | 7-10 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| AFC North |
Bengals ✓ | 12-4 | 100% | 100% | 0% | 9% | |
| AFC North |
Ravens ✓ | 10-7 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 2% | |
| AFC North |
Steelers ✗ | 9-8 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| AFC North |
Browns ✗ | 7-10 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| AFC South |
Jaguars ✓ | 9-8 | 100% | 100% | 0% | 3% | |
| AFC South |
Titans ✗ | 7-10 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| AFC South |
Colts ✗ | 4-12-1 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| AFC South |
Texans ✗ | 3-13-1 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| AFC West |
Chiefs ✓ | 14-3 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 20% | |
| AFC West |
Chargers ✓ | 10-7 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 4% | |
| AFC West |
Raiders ✗ | 6-11 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| AFC West |
Broncos ✗ | 5-12 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| NFC East |
Eagles ✓ | 14-3 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 16% | |
| NFC East |
Cowboys ✓ | 12-5 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 8% | |
| NFC East |
Giants ✓ | 9-7-1 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 1% | |
| NFC East |
Commanders ✗ | 8-8-1 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| NFC North |
Vikings ✓ | 13-4 | 100% | 100% | 0% | 3% | |
| NFC North |
Packers | 8-8 | 62% | <1% | <1% | 2% | |
| NFC North |
Lions ✗ | 8-8 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| NFC North |
Bears ✗ | 3-14 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| NFC South |
Bucs ✓ | 8-9 | 100% | 100% | 0% | 2% | |
| NFC South |
Saints ✗ | 7-10 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| NFC South |
Panthers ✗ | 7-10 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| NFC South |
Falcons ✗ | 7-10 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| NFC West |
49ers ✓ | 13-4 | 100% | 100% | 0% | 13% | |
| NFC West |
Seahawks | 9-8 | 38% | <1% | <1% | <1% | |
| NFC West |
Rams ✗ | 5-12 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| NFC West |
Cardinals ✗ | 4-13 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
The N.F.L. Playoff Picture, Team by Team
The Buffalo Bills (13-3) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Miami Dolphins (9-8) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Patriots have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Jets have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Baltimore Ravens (10-7) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Steelers have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Browns have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Titans have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Colts have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Texans have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Kansas City Chiefs (14-3) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Los Angeles Chargers (10-7) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Raiders have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Broncos have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Dallas Cowboys (12-5) have clinched a playoff berth.
The New York Giants (9-7-1) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Commanders have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Minnesota Vikings (13-4) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Green Bay Packers (8-8) beat the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17, raising their chances of making the playoffs to 62 percent from 31 percent. A win next week would clinch a playoff berth.
The Lions have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Bears have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Saints have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Panthers have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Falcons have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The San Francisco 49ers (13-4) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Seattle Seahawks (9-8) beat the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, boosting their chances of making the playoffs to 38 percent from 22 percent. They are on the cusp of being eliminated from playoff contention.
The Rams have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Cardinals have been eliminated from playoff contention.
How the Minnesota Vikings Can Make the 2022 N.F.L. PlayoffsThrough Week 18
Likeliest Playoff Positions
| SCENARIO | PROBABILITY |
|---|---|
| Bye week 0% | |
| Host wild card 100% | |
| Wild card 0% | |
| Out 0% |
End-of-Season Outcomes
| RecordChance this happens | Chance to make the playoffs |
|---|
Division Standings
| Record in Common Games |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Overall | Div. | Vikings | Opp. |
The Minnesota Vikings (13-4) have clinched a playoff berth.
The table below represents the Vikings’ remaining games. Pick a winner and see what happens to the Vikings’ playoff chances:
As you pick winners, the colors on some games will change, reflecting their relative importance for a Vikings postseason berth.
Or explore other possibilities, like a first-round bye or a division title, right here:
The tables below represent every N.F.L. game remaining. Pick winners and explore which games matter most to the Vikings’ chances.
With 1 games remaining, there are 2 different ways the N.F.L. regular season could end. How many of those put the Vikings in the playoffs? Far too many to check by hand.
So we built this simulator. Most calculators force you to choose the winners of each remaining game. Here, you can choose the outcomes of just a few games and see how your team’s chances grow or shrink. (For more information about this simulator, check out our newly updated guide.)
We estimate odds by randomly simulating the remainder of the season thousands of times and counting how often the Vikings make the playoffs.
If you don’t specify an outcome for a particular game, we use Sagarin ratings to estimate each team’s chances of winning. (For simplicity, we assume each game has an equally small chance of ending in a tie.)