The Vikings put a stranglehold on the NFC North with Thursday's 30-23 win over Detroit, giving them a three-game lead with five games remaining.
The next five games will be crucial in the Vikings fight for a first-round bye and home-field advantage.
While Vikings fans can rest easy the rest of the weekend, there are still games that people should keep an eye as the postseason race heats up.
View exclusive images shot by the team photographer (IG: vikingsphotog) from the Nov. 23 game against the Lions.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) at Atlanta Falcons (6-4) | Noon (CT) | Mercedes-Benz Stadium
The Vikings continue to handle their business on a week-by-week basis and their next challenge comes against the Falcons in Week 13. Atlanta is coming off a big Monday night win in Seattle, and the Falcons look to keep both their playoff and division hopes alive in the final weeks of the season. Sunday starts a stretch where they play five games against NFC South foes in the final six weeks of the season, with their only non-divisional game coming next week against the Vikings.
Tampa Bay enters Sunday's contest riding a two-game winning streak after losing five straight. A loss on Sunday would give them their seventh loss of the season, which would most likely end their hopes for their first postseason bid since 2007.
New Orleans Saints (8-2) at Los Angeles Rams (7-3) | 3:25 p.m. (CT) | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The biggest game of the weekend will take place in Los Angeles when two of the top teams in the NFC square off. Of the combined five losses between New Orleans and the Los Angeles Rams, two have come at the hands of the Vikings. The Saints are in the middle of an eight-game winning streak after starting the season 0-2, and the Rams are coming off their worst offensive performance of the season, scoring just seven points against Minnesota.
Sunday's game could have major playoff implications that could affect how seeding shakes out in the NFC. New Orleans looks to remain at the top of what's starting to be a crowded NFC South race while the Rams look to stay atop the NFC West. Both teams remain in strong position to make the postseason this year.
The Rams and the Saints are two of the biggest surprises so far in the NFL in 2017, with each having already surpassed their win totals from 2016.
Green Bay Packers (5-5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2) | 7:30 p.m. (CT) | Heinz Field
Capping off the Sunday's slate will be a matchup between two of the most storied franchises in NFL history. However, this game probably won't live up to the hype that fans might have expected at the beginning of the season.
The Steelers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right, winners of five straight games. The Packers, on the other hand, have struggled since Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone in Week 6 and have lost four of their past five.
A Steelers win here would all but wrap up the AFC North, and a Green Bay loss would put them four games back in the divisional race with five to play. On the flipside, a Green Bay win and Pittsburgh loss could make both races interesting at least for another week.
