Three NFL games on Sunday that Vikings fans should not miss.
Even though the Minnesota Vikings are off this week, there are still plenty of noteworthy events taking place in Week 13.
After the Seattle Seahawks’ Thursday night loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Vikings are currently holding the sixth seed in the NFC playoff race going into this week. But as the team nears the end of its season, Minnesota faces stiff competition from the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay, and New Orleans, who are all sitting just outside of the final playoff spot.
What then should Vikings supporters be aware of? Here are a few of the most prominent plots from Week 13.
1. Is it official that the Lions are struggling?
Losing the chance to close the gap with the Detroit Lions in the NFC North was one of the most disheartening aspects of Monday night’s game against the Chicago Bears.
Although they lead the Vikings by 2.5 games going into this week’s game, the Lions have been faltering lately. They were destroyed on Thanksgiving by Jordan Love and the Packers, but they were also behind by a large margin in their Week 11 comeback victory over the Bears.
Defense and turnovers have been Detroit’s main issues. With 20 takeaways, the Saints defense is tied for fourth in the NFL, and the Lions have turned the ball over seven times in their last two games.
Despite being 21st in the league in points scored this year, the Detroit defense, which has given up 98 points in its previous three games, could give the Saints a scare.
With two games against the Vikings in the final three weeks, the Lions’ path to their first division title since 1993 may become hazy if they are unable to stop the Saints or continue to give their opponents the ball.
2. Will Jordan Love be the next quarterback in the Packers Hall of Fame?
For Vikings supporters who saw the Packers go from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers, this is a sensitive topic, but Love is beginning to turn things around following a difficult season opener and is putting himself in position to be the team’s long-term quarterback.
With only 57 percent of his passes completed for 1,492 yards, 11 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in his first seven games as a starter, Love’s rookie campaign wasn’t going well. Love, however, has turned the corner after falling short against the Vikings on October 29. He now completes 65 percent of his passes for 1,107 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions.
The 25-year-old has been particularly effective the past two weeks, throwing for 268 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s victory over the Lions and 322 yards and two touchdowns in a Nov. 19 victory over the Chargers.
Love is helping the Packers push their way into the playoff picture with three wins in their last four games, and his stats in his first 11 games as a full-time starter are uncannily similar to those of Aaron Rodgers. The Green Bay Packers may have another long-term quarterback option if he outduels Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.
3. Do the Rams have a chance to make the playoffs?
The Rams enter their game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday with some momentum, despite being an afterthought in the NFC playoff race.
The Rams’ record dropped to 3-6 after losing 20-3 to the Green Bay Packers on November 5. However, they managed to hold off the Seahawks, winning 17-16 on November 19 and 37-14 against the Arizona Cardinals the following week.
When the Los Angeles Rams take on Joe Flacco, who is starting for the Browns after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury and Dorian Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion against the Denver Broncos last week, Los Angeles will also receive a blessing from the football gods.
In addition to home games against the Saints and road games against Baltimore and San Francisco, the Rams schedule also features winnable games against Washington and the New York Giants that could keep them in the hunt.
The Rams have a chance to challenge the Vikings for one of the NFC’s final playoff spots if they defeat Cleveland on Sunday afternoon.
