Sunday’s Results Help Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings received some help on Sunday from the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons.

The Packers and Lions both lost, giving the Minnesota Vikings a comfortable lead in the NFC North. On top of that, the Seattle Seahawks lost too which leaves only the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the Vikings for home field advantage in the NFC. If Dallas and Minnesota stay tight, the Vikings will have an opportunity in week 13 to settle the score against the conference-leading Cowboys.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford received MVP hype coming into Sunday’s match up against the Houston Texans. His calling card: the ability to make fourth quarter come backs. In this game, however, Stafford fell flat in the fourth quarter, handing a win to a seemingly inferior Houston squad.

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers made things interesting in Atlanta on Sunday, but they couldn’t get over their injuries on the defense. Matt Ryan calmly led the Falcons down the field repeatedly and iced the game late in the fourth quarter after a well-placed pass to Muhammad Sanu.

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Although they stand at 4-3, which looks ugly compared to Minnesota’s 5-1, the Packers saw some glimmers of hope which could give nerves to the Vikings. For example, rookie wide receiver Trevor Davis scored his first NFL touchdown, and he showed surprising speed and chemistry with Rodgers. If Green Bay can get healthy, their schedule is so easy that they may be able to stay in the NFC North race.

For the Seahawks, Sunday gave  much more than just a loss. Facing the putrid Saints, granted the game was in New Orleans, the NFC West-leading Seahawks looked controlled offensively. To be controlled by the league-worst Saints defense is heinous. Russell Wilson’s health and the Seattle offensive line make this formerly feared playoff team easier to handle for the young Vikings.

The Dallas Cowboys came away with a win over the Eagles, giving them the number one seed if the season ended today. The Cowboys may present some difficulty to the Vikings moving forward based on their ability to sit on the ball and eat up minutes. The week 13 match up between the two should give an excellent coach like Mike Zimmer all the information he needs to stop Dallas.

Next: Vikings Missing 2 Key Players vs. Bears

If the season ended today, the Minnesota Vikings would make the playoffs with a first round bye. The Packers, Lions and Bears don’t appear ready to take advantage of another potential Vikings loss.