12-31-2017, 04:48 PM
The Minnesota Vikings will (likely) lock up a first-round bye, win or loseThe Vikings have a 99.6 percent chance of grabbing the final first-round bye, according to ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI). They can clinch it with a home victory over the Chicago Bears (5-10), or with help from one of three teams in the following scenarios: 1) If the Atlanta Falcons defeat the Carolina Panthers; 2) the New Orleans Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; or 3) the Los Angeles Rams defeat the San Francisco 49ers. (The Rams announced they will rest key players, but the other two games should be competitive.)