Minnesota started the season 1-5, but with the way the season had been going for the three games after that, some people tabbed this team to make the playoffs.
The Vikings went on a three-game winning streak, all of which were victories over divisional opponents. Minnesota had an easier part of its schedule left, and it could surge to a decent record.
But then, the team lost to an opponent that was inferior on paper. The Cowboys came into U.S. Bank and handed the Vikings a loss, which dropped Minnesota to 4-6 overall.
The loss also dropped the team’s playoff chances, though not as much as you would think. Minnesota still has a 20% chance to make the postseason, according to FiveThirtyEight. Of course that’s still not very good, but it’s also not insurmountable.
After the Bears win, the Vikings had a 36% chance to make the postseason. Before the Monday game in Chicago, Minnesota had a 21% chance, the team is pretty much back to where they were after the Lions game, with less games left obviously.
There are some easy wins on the Vikings’ schedule, but this team has proven that those games are not easy for them at times.
