Sports
PurplePTSD: Prophets And Prognosticators Weigh In On Purple Playoffs
Many fans, reasonably enough, are setting their sights on the playoffs.
December 11, 2021
I’ll admit the alliteration may be a touch over the top, but hopefully it gets the central message across. The NFL season is rapidly charging toward its conclusion. Many fans, reasonably enough, are setting their sights on the playoffs. How are things shaping up for the Vikings playoff odds following their TNF victory?
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Vikings Playoff Odds
Writers far and wide commonly turn to FiveThirtyEight as their go-to spot for playoff predictions. At 6-7, the Vikings are given a 35% chance in their playoff odds. A win against the Bears brings that total toward 50%, or just beyond that figure. A loss to Chicago means the number drops to around 12%.
Football Outsiders has yet to adjust their chart for Week 14, so the Steelers win isn’t part of their calculus. Take these numbers, then, with a grain of salt. At 5-7, the Vikings had a 34.8% of being an NFC Wild Card team. Snagging the prime time win will obviously nudge that number closer to the 50% mark.
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The number-crunchers from PFF had the Vikings at a 20% of getting into the playoffs before the Steelers game. A win, in their estimation, bumped that number to 29%. Here is their brief summary of the game’s implications: “Neither team is eliminated with a loss tonight, but both teams likely view this game as a must-win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Despite an embarrassing loss to the Lions last week, the Vikings are favored in this one.”
The Takeaways
Keep in mind, folks, that so much of the Vikings playoff odds are dictated by what other teams do around them. That’s one of the primary consequences of playing such lousy football at various points this year. Consistent excellence means a team controls its own playoff destiny in December. Consistent mediocrity means a team needs help from other teams to get in.
The Bears at Soldier Field are always a difficult test. It won’t matter if Andy Dalton is throwing passes. Expect the defense to make several stupid mistakes; expect the offense to struggle to move the ball. Mind you, an excellent performance from Kirk Cousins would significantly strengthen his own shot at personal accolades as well as achieving team success.
The players are off for the weekend. When they return, they’ll be getting a full dose of coaching from Zim. Perhaps that’ll be the spark that lights the playoff fire.
This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
