Vikes thread!

[Steve-o]

I heard radio guys talkin'/speculatin' that Dan Campbell is the kind of coach who would play his starters in the last game regardless of whether or not it has any bearing on the final standings.  Lots of folks love his "full steam ahead" approach and it has served his team will.  Only time and changing circumstances will reveal what happens in the last game.

For our part, if the Vikes can't improve their playoff standings in the last game, I hope they don't play starters.  They have a really good starting team, but it doesn't seem like they have a lot of depth.

If the Lions have clinched the #1 seed, go ahead and play starters in Week 17.  They'll get a bye on Wildcard Weekend.

If the Vikes have to take their team on the road for the first game in the playoffs, I hope they rest their starters in Week 17.

[Gunner55]

  Even if things stay the way they are all the Vikings have to do to win the division is beat Detroit by 3 pts because Detroit only won by 2 in the 1st game. But I think that would most likely make the Eagles the #1 seed because they'd have a better divisional record. Although the Eagles do still have 3 games left in their division, after they play the Steelers this week.

[roony]

First they have to beat the Bears. One game at a time all you purple kool-aid drinkers.

[LPS]

Good point!

[Steve-o]

If the Lions and Vikings both win the rest of their games until week 17, and Assuming the Vikings beat the Lions, the Lions still have the tie breaker over us.

https://www.nfl.com/standings/tie-breaking-procedures

To Break A Tie Within A Division:  Two Clubs

• Head-to-head. (Both teams would be 1-1.  TIE)
• Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division. (Both teams would be 5-1 in the division.  TIE)
• Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.  (Common games:  49ers, Texans, Rams, Colts, Jags, Titans, Cardinals, Seahawks.
   The Vikings would be 7-1 with loss to the Rams.  The Lions are 8-0 against these teams.  LIONS WIN THE TIE BREAKER)
• Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
• Strength of victory in all games.
• Strength of schedule in all games
• Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed in all games.
• Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed in all games.
• Best net points in common games.
• Best net points in all games.
• Best net touchdowns in all games.
• Coin toss

But to assume both teams win-out...  that's a lot of "Ifs and Buts."  Besides playing each other, the Vikings and Lions both have one more divisional game and one more game against common opponents.  So if the Lions drop a game to the Bears or the 49ers - and the Vikings still have to win their games against the Bears, Seahawks and Packers, then the tie breakers will change.

Lions Lose to the Bears and Vikings Win Out Beating the Lions in the Final Game

• Head-to-head. (Both teams would be 1-1.  TIE)
• Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division. (Vikings 5-1, Lions 4-2.  VIKINGS WIN THE TIE BREAKER)

Lions Lose to the 49ers and Vikings Win Out Beating the Lions in the Final Game

• Head-to-head. (Both teams would be 1-1.  TIE)
• Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division. (Both teams would be 5-1 in the division.  TIE)
• Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.  (Common games:  49ers, Texans, Rams, Colts, Jags, Titans, Cardinals, Seahawks.
   The Vikings would be 7-1 with loss to the Rams.  The Lions are 7-1 against these teams.  TIE)
• Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.  (Vikings would be 10-2 with losses to the Lion and Rams, Lions would be 10-2 with losses to the Vikings and 49ers.  TIE)
• Strength of victory in all games.  The Lions combined wins against the Bucks (7-6 right now), the Cowboys (5-8 right now), and the Bills (10-3 right now), have a better win percentage that the Vikings combined wins against the Giants (2-11 right now), The Jets (3-10 right now), and Falcons (6-7 right now).  Basically, the Lions beat better teams.  LIONS WIN THE TIE BREAKER.

I guess my point is...  for the Vikings to have the same record as the Lions in Week 17, with a chance to beat them to win the division...
A) the Lions need to have one more loss than the Vikings over the next 3 games and
B) the Vikings are STILL going to need to get lucky with the tie breakers - because the losses both team have in the next 3 weeks will determine the tiebreakers.