The Minnesota Vikings clinched a playoff berth on Sunday due to the Seattle Seahawks' loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, and Sam Darnold revealed how players on the team reacted to the news as they prepared for their Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears.
Darnold said that some Vikings players were together Sunday night when it officially happened, but there was no celebration. It was just a five-minute chat, and then they moved on, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.
The Vikings had a game the next night, and they took care of business against the Chicago Bears, beating them by the score of 30-12 to move to 12-2 on the season. After securing a spot in the NFC Playoffs, now the Vikings will focus on trying to win the NFC North division title. They are tied with the Detroit Lions atop the division, who hold the tiebreaker due to the win against the Vikings earlier in the season.
It has been a surprising season for the Vikings, especially Darnold, who has been a journeyman in his career. With how he has performed, along with the Vikings losing Christian Darrisaw for a large part of the season, Kevin O'Connell is perhaps the frontrunner for the Coach of the Year award.
How can Vikings secure NFC North title?
The Vikings' road ahead is simple, if they win their remaining three games on the schedule, they are the NFC North champions. However, that will not be easy, as their last three games are against the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Lions. Minnesota has a chance to set up a winner-take-all for the division against the Lions in the last week of the season.
If Minnesota does end up winning the NFC North, it could also be in the running for the top seed in the NFC, competing with the Philadelphia Eagles for that spot. Regardless, the Vikings are in a great spot at 12-2 and have a chance to continue to surprise in the final three games.