It has been a rollercoaster first half of the 2023 NFL season for the Minnesota Vikings. They started out 1-4 with their only win coming over the lowly Panthers in Week 4, and it looked as if they were headed for the bottom of the standings in the NFC. But Kevin O’Connell’s team is one of the hottest teams in the league, having not lost a game since October 8th, and have been winning despite some tough circumstances.
Vikings Have Most To Lose, And Gain, This Week In Game vs. Saints
After starting 1-4 and losing Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins for multiple games, the @Vikings are currently holding a playoff spot 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5sPi7YDcik
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 6, 2023
All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson has missed all four games of the winning streak while on injured reserve, and Kirk Cousins is out for the season after being one of the top quarterbacks in the league statistically for the games that he played early on. The Vikings were forced to turn to a player who had been on their roster for 4 days to play quarterback for them last Sunday, but Josh Dobbs pulled off one of the wildest feats you’ll ever see in the NFL last Sunday.
Once left for dead, the Vikings are in the thick of the NFC playoff race. If the season ended today, they would be the 7th and final seed in the conference with their 5-4 record. But their position is volatile, and they have more at stake this Sunday than any other team in the NFL for Week 10.
Playoff Chances Boost To 74% With A Win
Current NFC Playoff chances. If the #Saints win this week, their odds jump to about 90%… With a loss the Saints drop back to about 65%
The Vikings jump to 74% with a win & drop to around 40% with a loss
Moral of the story: Saints vs. Viking is a HUGE game for both teams pic.twitter.com/rYcMdzYB6F
— Trizzy Trace (@tracegirouard48) November 9, 2023
Minnesota currently has a 56% chance of making the playoffs, according to PFF projections. If they win, their odds will see a massive boost, all the way up to 74%, but a loss would send them into tough territory. Should they come up short against the New Orleans Saints this week, they’ll drop down to 41%. That is a 33% swing that will take place depending on the result of the game, more than the Bills and Bengals, who both have 31% swings this week.
Jefferson has been activated from the injured reserve, but when he’ll actually return to the field is unknown. The player himself confirmed on Thursday that he wouldn’t return until he was sure that he felt 100%, and he’s not exactly sure when that will be. It is highly unlikely that it will come this Sunday, a game which the Vikings are currently listed as 3 point underdogs for.
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