EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings have started 12-2 or better for the first time since 1998 after completing a season sweep of the Bears with a 30-12 victory on Monday Night Football.
The Vikings seventh consecutive victory of 2024 wrapped a three-game homestand and included the debut of the Winter Warrior uniforms, including the first instance of a white helmet in franchise history.
Now three games remain, and Minnesota will enter Week 16 with the same records as Detroit and Philadelphia.
All three teams are guaranteed a playoff berth, and each will vie for the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs, which comes with a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout.
A short week that includes traveling to the Pacific Northwest to face the Seahawks (8-6) is underway.
The top four seeds in the AFC and NFC go to division winners. If the season ended today, the Vikings would be the No. 5 seed in the NFC Playoffs (this is the same status the team has had in the previous two weeks since we fired up this series).
Since the NFL expanded the playoffs in 2020, No. 2 seeds now play on Super Wild Card Weekend.
If the postseason started today, Philadelphia would host Washington in the 2-7 matchup, Tampa Bay would host Green Bay in the 3-6, and the Los Angeles Rams would host Minnesota in the 4-5.
Seventeen of the 32 NFL teams have records of 7-7, and 11 squads are 9-5 or better with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
Nine clubs have officially been eliminated from making the playoffs. The Patriots (3-11), Jaguars (3-11), Raiders (2-12) and Giants (2-12) were eliminated before Week 14. The Browns (3-11), Jets (4-10) and Titans (3-11) joined the group jockeying for position in the 2025 NFL Draft before Week 15. Chicago (4-10) and Carolina (3-11) were eliminated on Sunday.
View game action photos from the Vikings vs. Bears Monday Night Football matchup in Week 15 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Here's a look at the current NFC playoff picture — with conference standings and a status update — as we head into Week 16.
Already Punched a Ticket & Vying for Seeding
1. Detroit Lions (12-2)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 @ Bears (4-10)
12/30 @ 49ers (6-8)
1/5/25 Vikings (12-2)
Status: Detroit had its 11-game winning streak snapped by Buffalo but stayed in first place in the conference thanks to tiebreakers on Philadelphia. The Lions endured multiple key injuries in their loss to the Bills, including running back David Montgomery and run-stuffer Alim McNeill, who also has made an impact as an interior pass rusher.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 @ Commanders (9-5)
12/29 Cowboys (6-8)
1/5/25 Giants (2-12)
Status: The Eagles won their NFL-leading 10th consecutive game and still haven't lost to the Steelers in Philadelphia since 1965. Pittsburgh trailed by four at halftime but only had the ball for less than 6:00 of the second half. Philly put together a 21-play drive that started at its 3-yard line and wiped away the final 10:29 of the game.
Can clinch division with …
An Eagles win or tie against the Commanders
5. Minnesota Vikings (12-2)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 @ Seahawks (8-6)
12/29 Packers (10-4)
1/5/25 @ Lions (12-2)
Status: The Vikings scored at least 30 points for the fifth time in 2024 and third time in the past four weeks. Minnesota can control its destiny in the NFC North by winning the final three games of the season against playoff-caliber teams.
Current Division Leaders
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 @ Cowboys (6-8)
12/29 Panthers (3-11)
1/5/25 Saints (5-9)
Status: The Bucs won their fourth consecutive game by scoring the final 30 points of the day in a 40-17 win at the L.A. Chargers. Mike Evans posted his seventh career game with at least 150 receiving yards, and Baker Mayfield recorded his third game of 2024 with four-plus passing touchdowns. Oh yeah, Tampa Bay also won the ground battle 223 to 32, becoming one of three teams (Baltimore and Philadelphia) to outrush an opponent by 190 or more in multiple games this season.
4. Los Angeles Rams (8-6)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 @ Jets (4-10)
12/28 Cardinals (7-7)
1/5/25 Seahawks (8-6)
Status: The Rams opened Week 15 by winning the first game of 2024 that did not have a TD by either team (12-6). It was the fewest points for the Rams in a win in the Sean McVay era and the only contest his squad has won without scoring a touchdown (previously 0-7, including playoffs). It's shaping up to be a wild, wild (NFC) West.
Current Projected Wild Card Teams
6. Green Bay Packers (10-4)
Remaining Schedule
12/23 Saints (5-9)
12/29 @ Vikings (12-2)
1/5/25 Bears (4-10)
Status: The Packers have scored at least 30 points in each of their past four games, and Jordan Love has a passer rating above 100 in five consecutive games. Green Bay is 9-1 vs. teams outside the NFC North this season, with its only loss occurring against Philadelphia in Brazil in Week 1.
In the playoffs with …
A Packers win or tie
A Falcons loss or tie + a Rams loss or tie
A Falcons loss or tie + a Seahawks loss or tie
7. Washington Commanders (9-5)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 Eagles (12-2)
12/29 Falcons (7-7)
1/5/25 @ Cowboys (6-8)
Status: Washington's one-point win against New Orleans kept alive its attempt to win the NFC East. Jayden Daniels became the fourth rookie in NFL history with 3,000-plus passing yards and 500 or more rushing yards, joining Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III and Kyler Murray. Newton, Griffin and Murray each won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
In the playoffs with …
A Commanders win + a Falcons loss or tie + a Rams loss or tie
A Commanders win + a Falcons loss or tie + a Seahawks loss or tie
A Commanders tie + a Falcons loss + a Cardinals loss or tie + and a Rams loss or tie + Seahawks loss or tie (as long as the Rams and Seahawks both don't tie)
In the Hunt
8. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 Vikings (12-2)
12/26 @ Bears (4-10)
1/5/25 @ Rams (8-6)
Status: Seattle's post-bye win streak of four victories was halted by the Packers on Sunday Night Football. The Seahawks will treat this week as a must-win and try to prevent the Vikings from claiming their first victory in the Pacific Northwest since 2006.
9. Atlanta Falcons (7-7)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 Giants (2-12)
12/29 @ Commanders (9-5)
1/5/25 Panthers (3-11)
Status: The Falcons snapped a four-game losing streak by nabbing their sixth one-score victory of 2024. Atlanta is tied with Tampa Bay for the easiest remaining strength of schedule in the NFC (.333 opponents' win percentage).
10. Arizona Cardinals (7-7)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 @ Panthers (3-11)
12/28 @ Rams (8-6)
1/5/25 49ers (6-8)
Status: James Conner posted his fifth game of 2024 with 100-plus rushing yards and his 13th career game with at least two rushing touchdowns (his eighth since joining Arizona in 2021). The Cardinals will try to follow a three-game losing streak by winning their final four games. Arizona defeated the Los Angeles Rams 41-10 all the way back in Week 2.
View postgame celebration photos from the Vikings 30-12 win over the Bears during Week 15 of the 2024 season.
The Math Could Still Math
11. San Francisco 49ers (6-8)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 @ Dolphins (6-8)
12/30 Lions (12-2)
1/5/25 @ Cardinals (7-7)
Status: The 49ers have lost four of their past five games, including by 3 to the Seahawks, 28 to the Packers, 25 to the Bills and 6 to the Rams. San Francisco is hoping to rebound after the mini bye and has little room for error and needs help against Los Angeles, which swept the series this season.
Lloyd Christmas Says There's a Chance
12. Dallas Cowboys (6-8)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 Buccaneers (8-6)
12/29 @ Eagles (12-2)
1/5/25 Commanders (9-5)
Status: Dallas' season-high of 211 rushing yards and a pick by former Viking Eric Kendricks helped the Cowboys stay in the saddle for at least one more week. One more loss or one more win by Washington this season will result in elimination.
13. New Orleans Saints (5-9)
Remaining Schedule
12/23 @ Packers (10-4)
12/29 Raiders (2-12)
1/5/25 @ Buccaneers (8-6)
Status: The Saints erased a 17-point deficit but opted for a 2-point conversion pass by Spencer Rattler that fell incomplete. Even if New Orleans wins out, the New York Times' playoff simulator gives the Saints less than a 1-percent chance of making the playoffs. That chance becomes 100-percent if the Buccaneers and Falcons lose out, as long as the Saints win out.
View pregame photos as the Vikings get set for the Week 15 Monday Night Football matchup against the Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Eliminated
14. Chicago Bears (4-10)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 Lions (12-2)
12/26 Seahawks (8-6)
1/5/25 @ Packers (10-4)
Status: The Bears, Jets and Panthers are the only NFL teams to lose 10 or more games in at least each of the past four seasons.
15. Carolina Panthers (3-11)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 Cardinals (7-7)
12/29 @ Buccaneers (8-6)
1/5/25 @ Falcons (7-7)
Status: The Panthers are 22-59 since 2020 and have lost at least 11 games in five of six seasons. The high point was a 7-10 showing in 2022.
16. New York Giants (2-12)
Remaining Schedule
12/22 @ Falcons (7-7)
12/29 Colts (6-8)
1/5/25 @ Eagles (12-2)
Status: This is tracking to be the eighth consecutive season for Big Blue to finish in the red in point differential. They are at minus-120 (208 points for and 328 points against). The best mark in that span was minus-6 in 2022 when New York finished 9-7-1 but upset Minnesota in the playoffs.
