With a 29-13 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon, the Minnesota Vikings clinched the third spot. The Wild Card round kickoff time has been determined, and they will host the New York Giants there. That said, let's look at our Vikings 2023 NFL Playoffs predictions after their Week 18 win.
The Vikings' chances of getting the second seed in the playoffs were dashed when the San Francisco 49ers won their game against the Arizona Cardinals. The Vikings will now be the third seed, which means they will face off against the Giants in the playoffs.
Keep in mind that the Vikings previously defeated the Giants during the regular season. This will also be the first playoff game held at U.S. Bank Stadium since the “Minneapolis Miracle” occurred. Of course, the Vikings are expected to put up a strong performance. Take note that they had an 8-1 record at home this season. That said, here are four predictions for the Vikings in the playoffs following their win in Week 18.
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Can't wait for next Sunday. pic.twitter.com/TInNwQCBM8
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 9, 2023
4. Vikings air offense impresses behind Jefferson and Osborn
The Vikings will need their wide receivers to bring their A-game. We expect KJ Osborn and Justin Jefferson to do just that.
Recall that Osborn made a 66-yard catch at the beginning of their Week 18 game. That helped set up the team's first touchdown, scored by Adam Thielen. Osborn played the entire game and achieved his second career 100-yard game. He finished with 5 catches for 117 yards. Recently, Osborn and Kirk Cousins have had a strong connection on the field. Osborn has the chance to showcase his skills in the playoffs and is entering the final year of his contract. He may have the opportunity to prove that he deserves to be extended rather than having to prove himself again next year.
Meanwhile, Jefferson caught 4-of-5 targets for 38 yards in the team's win against the Bears on Sunday. This occurred only in the first half, as the Vikings chose to rest their offensive starters after halftime. This decision resulted in Jefferson having less than 40 receiving yards for the second consecutive game. That's a significant decrease from his previous high level of production. With the Vikings set to host a playoff game, Jefferson will aim to return to his best form in the next game.
3. Kirk Cousins has roller-coaster playoff performances
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 17 out of 20 passes for a total of 225 yards and a touchdown in Week 18. Despite only playing in the first half, Cousins performed well and set a season-high for completion percentage. This should boost his confidence heading into the playoffs, especially after a poor performance in the team's previous game against the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings were successful on 4 out of 5 opening drives, with the exception being a fumble by Dalvin Cook.
That said, remember that in the Vikings' previous game against the Giants, Cousins made several risky throws that could have resulted in interceptions. One pass intended for Thielen was almost intercepted by rookie cornerback Cor'dale Flott. However, it was ruled incomplete after a replay review showed the ball touched the ground. Cousins also had an interception in the first half that was nullified by a pass interference penalty. He also underthrew a pass downfield that was nearly intercepted by safety Julian Love. Basically, as confident as Cousins might be, he will likely have a roller-coaster ride in the postseason. We expect him to do well enough against the Giants, though.
2. Vikings scrape by the Giants again
Speaking of those Giants, the Vikings will play them in the Wild Card Round of the 2023 NFL playoffs. The Vikings won the NFC North and are the third seed in the NFC. These two teams recently played in Week 16, with the Vikings coming out on top, 27-24. That was thanks to a 61-yard field goal by Greg Joseph.
This will be the fourth time the Vikings and Giants have met in the playoffs, with the previous three games taking place in New York. In 1994, the Giants defeated the Vikings 17-10 in the Wild Card round, and in 2000, the Giants won the NFC Championship Game against the Vikings in a memorable 41-0 victory. This will be the first time the playoffs matchup between these teams will occur in Minneapolis.
That's huge because U.S. Bank Stadium has contributed to the success of the Vikings, and the team has a strong record at home. They have only one home loss this season, which was against the Dallas Cowboys. The Vikings also have an impressive record of 11-0 in one-score games, including their last-second win against the Giants. Based on the teams' performances this season and their previous matchup, it is likely that this game will also be a closely contested battle. Despite that, we have Minnesota scraping by on a huge fourth-quarter drive that will result in the game-winning score.
1. Vikings get eliminated by the 49ers in the Divisional Round
The Vikings did not play the 49ers in the 2022-23 regular season. We expect them to clash in the NFC Divisional Round. However, the Vikings will likely get eliminated thanks to an elite 49ers defense.
Furthermore, the San Francisco 49ers' offense, led by third-string quarterback Brock Purdy, has performed better than expected. One area of concern for Vikings fans is the team's defense, which has ranked last in the league in yards allowed for most of the season. That said, the Vikings have been very successful in endgame execution. In fact, they have a plus-9 turnover margin in endgame situations, which ranks third in the NFL. However, if they are unable to make key interceptions or fourth-down stops, the Vikings will be vulnerable, especially to these Niners.
The Vikings should put up a fight on the road here, but ultimately, San Francisco's defense will suffocate Cousins & Co. into submission. The Niners move on as the Vikings move out.
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