The Minnesota Vikings are on bye this week but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything important happening in Week 13.
The Vikings enter this week in the middle of the NFC’s playoff race, holding the sixth seed after the Seattle Seahawks lost to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night. But with Green Bay, the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans sitting just outside of the final playoff spot, Minnesota has plenty of competition as it enters the home stretch.
So what should Vikings fans keep an eye on? Here’s a look at some of the biggest storylines in Week 13.
1. Are the Lions officially in a slump?
One of the most disappointing aspects of Monday night’s loss to the Chicago Bears was a lost opportunity to gain ground on the Detroit Lions in the NFC North.
The Lions enter this week with a 2.5-game lead over the Vikings in the division race but have shown signs of cracking in recent weeks. Although they were dismantled by Jordan Love and the Packers on Thanksgiving, they also trailed by double-digits late in their Week 11 comeback victory over the Bears.
Detroit’s biggest problems have been turnovers and defense. The Lions have turned the ball over seven times in their last two games and will be going up against a Saints defense that is tied for fourth in the NFL with 20 takeaways.
While the Saints rank 21st in points scored this season, they could get a jolt from a Detroit unit that has allowed 98 points over its last three games.
If the Lions can’t stop the Saints or keep giving their opponents the ball, their path to their first division title since 1993 could become murky – especially with two games against the Vikings in the final three weeks.
2. Is Jordan Love the next Packers Hall of Fame quarterback?
This is a sore subject for Vikings fans who have watched the Packers go from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers, but Love is starting to turn things around after a rough start to the season and is making a case to be the Packers’ long-term quarterback.
Love’s first season as a starter wasn’t going well, completing just 57 percent of his passes for 1,492 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his first seven games. But after losing to the Vikings on Oct. 29, Love has turned the corner completing 65 percent of his passes for 1,107 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.
The 25-year-old has been especially impressive over the last two weeks throwing for 322 yards and two touchdowns in a Nov. 19 win over the Chargers and throwing for 268 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s win over the Lions.
With stats eerily similar to Rodgers in his first 11 games as a full-time starter, Love is helping the Packers force their way into the playoff picture with three wins in their last four games. If he out-duels Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, the Packers could have another long-term answer at quarterback.
3. Are the Rams a threat for a playoff spot?
The Rams have been an afterthought in the NFC’s playoff race but they have some momentum heading into Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.
The Rams fell to 3-6 with a 20-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 5 but were able to outlast the Seahawks for a 17-16 win on Nov. 19 and a 37-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals last week.
Los Angeles will also get a reprieve from the football gods when they square off with Joe Flacco, who is making the start 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.
The Rams’ schedule includes trips to Baltimore and San Francisco and a home game against the Saints but also includes winnable games against Washington and the New York Giants that could keep them in the hunt.
If the Rams are able to beat Cleveland on Sunday afternoon, they could be a credible threat and chase the Vikings for one of the NFC’s final playoff spots.
Leave a Reply