12-29-2017, 03:16 AM
The Vikings don’t want to spend Sunday afternoon scoreboard watching.
Minnesota (12-3) would clinch the No. 2 NFC seed and a first-round playoff bye with a win over Chicago in their regular-season finale, which kicks off at noon Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. If the Vikings, a 12-point favorite, lose to the Bears, the odds would remain heavily in their favor of still finishing No. 2.
The only way the Vikings won’t be No. 2 is if they lose, Carolina (11-4) wins at Atlanta, New Orleans (11-4) loses or ties at Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams (11-4) lose or tie to San Francisco. All those games start at 3:25 p.m.
At stake is a first-round bye, which goes to the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds. The other four teams in the NFC playoffs go at it Jan. 6-7 during wild-card weekend.
“We don’t want to get help from anyone,” tight end Kyle Rudolph said Wednesday. “We want to go out and take care of our business, play well and continue to ride this momentum into the playoffs. The last thing you want to to do is limp into the playoffs coming off of a loss.”
Guard Joe Berger agreed a loss would stall momentum for the Vikings, who have won 10 of their past 11 games.“You don’t want to back your way into the playoffs,” he said. “That’s a terrible way to go into the postseason.”
https://www.twincities.com/2017/12/27/vi...t-chicago/
Minnesota (12-3) would clinch the No. 2 NFC seed and a first-round playoff bye with a win over Chicago in their regular-season finale, which kicks off at noon Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. If the Vikings, a 12-point favorite, lose to the Bears, the odds would remain heavily in their favor of still finishing No. 2.
The only way the Vikings won’t be No. 2 is if they lose, Carolina (11-4) wins at Atlanta, New Orleans (11-4) loses or ties at Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams (11-4) lose or tie to San Francisco. All those games start at 3:25 p.m.
At stake is a first-round bye, which goes to the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds. The other four teams in the NFC playoffs go at it Jan. 6-7 during wild-card weekend.
“We don’t want to get help from anyone,” tight end Kyle Rudolph said Wednesday. “We want to go out and take care of our business, play well and continue to ride this momentum into the playoffs. The last thing you want to to do is limp into the playoffs coming off of a loss.”
Guard Joe Berger agreed a loss would stall momentum for the Vikings, who have won 10 of their past 11 games.“You don’t want to back your way into the playoffs,” he said. “That’s a terrible way to go into the postseason.”
https://www.twincities.com/2017/12/27/vi...t-chicago/