NFC Playoff Picture: Conference Standings Update Heading Into Week 8
Seven weeks into the 2022 season, the Vikings have put themselves in a good spot. Not only are they 5-1 thanks to some late-game magic under new head coach Kevin O'Connell, the division and conference around them is notably weak.
The Packers, who won the NFC North in each of the last three years, are a mess. They've lost three games in a row to fall to 3-4 and have the Bills, Cowboys, and Eagles coming up in the next five games. Four others teams that have been to an NFC championship game in the last four years — the Rams, 49ers, Buccaneers, and Saints — also have three wins at this point in the season.
The Eagles remain undefeated, the Cowboys are dangerous, and the Giants and Seahawks have surprised, but the Vikings are right in the mix at the top of the NFC playoff picture. If they can keep winning, they'll have a great chance to host at least one playoff game.
Here's what the NFC standings look like heading into Week 8. Right now, FiveThirtyEight gives the Vikings a 92 percent chance to make the playoffs and an 88 percent chance to win the NFC North.
Not only are the Vikings the No. 2 seed, they have the second-best conference record in the NFC. They'll remain the 2 seed regardless of what happens this weekend, but they can continue pushing towards the playoffs by taking care of business against the sub-.500 Cardinals and Commanders over the next two weeks.
Ultimately, pushing for the No. 1 seed will be awfully tough (FiveThirtyEight gives the Vikings an 11 percent chance to be the 1 seed, trailing the Eagles at 68 percent and the Cowboys at 18 percent). The Eagles look like the clear class of the NFC, and they have a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Vikings to go along with their one-game lead, not to mention an easy remaining schedule. But if the Vikings keep stacking wins, who knows?
It's early, and there's plenty of work still to be done. Remember, the 2016 Vikings were 5-1 and finished 8-8. The underlying metrics don't love what the Vikings have done so far this season, either, as they've won several games they could've easily lost. But as we head into Week 8, the Vikings are in a great spot to get to the postseason in O'Connell's first year.
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