The Minnesota Vikings got an early start on ringing in the New Year with …

Water?

The Vikings celebrated last week's win over the Packers by dousing Sam Darnold. The victory kept Minnesota in contention for the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs for the first time in more than a quarter century.

Minnesota (14-2) took another big step toward accomplishing that goal on Sunday, as the Vikings topped the Packers 27-25 in the 129^th edition of the Border Battle rivalry. It's the first time since 2017 Minnesota has swept Green Bay in the regular season and just the second time in franchise history the Vikings have recorded 14 wins in a season, with the other being 1998 when the team went 15-1.

The victory not only extended Minnesota's win streak to nine games (tied for the third-longest in team history within a single regular season), but gave the Vikings an opportunity to capture their second division title in three seasons under Head Coach Kevin O'Connell, who earned his 34^th victory Sunday as a head coach in just his 50^th regular-season game.

Minnesota can clinch the NFC North and that coveted No. 1 seed with a win this week at Detroit (14-2) on Sunday Night Football. The winner gets the top seed, a division title, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The loser gets bumped down to the No. 5 seed and will have to go on the road to open Wild Card Weekend.

It's a fitting ending to an NFL regular season of historic competition within the NFC North division.

Regardless of how Week 18 plays out, the 2024 NFC North will finish with the best win percentage for a division in NFL history. The Vikings, Lions, Packers and Bears currently possess a combined .672 win percentage, surpassing the mark shared by the 2013 NFC West and 2007 AFC South (.656).

Additionally, barring ties between the Vikings and Lions and the Packers and Bears games next week, the NFC North will finish with 45 total victories, the most for a division in a season since the 2022 NFC East (43 wins), who topped the 2013 NFC West and 2007 AFC South's marks due to the added 17^th game to the season.

The 2024 NFC North also is the first division this season to have three teams reach the postseason (the AFC North or AFC West could join that group next week). While that feat has been common lately (five instances in the past five seasons), it's been historically rare.

Since the 2002 realignment to eight divisions, only 12 total divisions (including this year) have placed three of its teams in the same postseason. This year will be the sixth instance from an NFC division and the first from the North.

Looking between the 1970 AFL-NFL merger and the 2001 season when the league had just six divisions, there were 25 times a division accomplished the feat, but only 10 occurred in the NFC. Of those 10 instances, six happened in the former NFC Central, which also included Tampa Bay as a five-team division:

– 1982 (the 1982 postseason had eight playoff teams per conference due to the players' strike): Packers (5-3-1); Vikings (5-4); Buccaneers (5-4); Lions (4-5).

– 1993: Lions (10-6); Vikings (9-7); Packers (9-7).

– 1994 (four teams made the playoffs): Vikings (10-6); Packers (9-7); Lions (9-7); Bears (9-7).

– 1997 (four teams made the playoffs): Packers (13-3); Bucs (10-6); Lions (9-7); Vikings (9-7).

– 1999: Bucs (11-5); Vikings (10-6); Lions (8-8).

– 2001: Bears (13-3); Packers (12-4); Bucs (9-7).

The win helped Minnesota move up in a couple of lists in this week's Power Rankings, with the biggest jump being three spots. Here's where the Vikings rank going into Week 18:

No. 4 (up 1 spot): Eric Edholm, NFL.com

Every week for at least the past month, I've been itching to move the Vikings up in the rankings, but there just hasn't been a proper opportunity. Perhaps I'm forcing things a bit, using the Eagles slightly questionable QB health as a reason to drop them, but let the record show that these Vikes absolutely deserve their flowers – and for a few minutes Monday night, I almost pulled the trigger and vaulted them over Detroit. Minnesota has proven itself now. What a raucous postgame scene it was in the locker room after the dramatic victory over the Packers on Sunday, with Sam Darnold being showered by his teammates for a brilliant season, even though Darnold played a little fast and loose in the final few minutes, opening the door slightly for Green Bay. No matter – the Vikings thoroughly outplayed the Packers for most of that game, and now it sets up one of the most dramatic Week 18 showdowns imaginable in Detroit. The stakes are massive, and the Vikings have earned their place on that vaunted stage.

No. 4 (no change): NFL Staff, Bleacher Report

The Minnesota Vikings just keep on stacking wins. And now, after downing the Green Bay Packers in a game that wasn't as close as the score for much of the afternoon, Minnesota is one Week 18 win away from something that would have seemed laughable back in Week 1 – the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold continued his miraculous 2024 campaign against the Packers, throwing for a career-high 377 yards and three touchdowns.

While speaking to the media after Sunday's win, Minnesota Head Coach Kevin O' Connell said that Darnold continues to impress week after week.

"He's playing quarterback at a very, very high level," O'Connell said, "and has been for the majority of the season. You can tell by the locker room. You can tell by the way I call plays. I know for us to get to where we want to go, we've got to be aggressive, and we've got to play football in a way that allows us to have our whole offense at our disposal."

If Darnold can avenge one of Minnesota's two losses against the Lions, it will put a bow on one of the more improbable regular seasons in recent memory.

"If you're waiting for the Cinderella story that is Sam Darnold's career reemergence to turn into a pumpkin, it's time to give it up," Bleacher Report NFL analyst Brent Sobleski said. "With the Vikings vying for the NFC's No. 1 seed, Darnold established a new career-high with 377 passing yards. Another outstanding Darnold performance has become commonplace. During Sunday's contest, Jalen Nailor emerged as more of a threat than he's been all season. The third-year wide receiver helped Minnesota's passing offense click, with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison off to slow starts. Nailor set a season-high with 81 receiving yards. Minnesota's offense has answers to pretty much every problem."

No. 4 (no change): Pete Prisco, CBS Sports

[The Vikings] continue to keep on winning. If they beat the Lions this week, they have the top seed in the NFC playoffs. That would be a heck of a season.

No. 4 (up 1 spot): Nate Davis, USA Today

Give this team the respect that it's due. Give QB Sam Darnold the respect that he's due. Recognize their more than reasonable chance to pull that No. 1 seed out from under the Lions at the 11^th hour and what a tough venue U.S. Bank Stadium has become. Could this be the year they finally break through for their first Lombardi Trophy?

No. 2 (up 3 spots): Josh Kendall, The Athletic

Yes, the Vikings still have plenty to play for this season, but their long-term prospects are just as important and that means picking the right quarterback – the suddenly super Sam Darnold or rookie J.J. McCarthy, who was drafted 10th in April to be the future but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason. Darnold has been so good (third in passing yards, 4,153, and fifth in passer rating, 106.4), that it's going to be tough to let him walk, but where does that leave McCarthy?

No. 4 (no change): Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated

A switch to a man-heavy defense against the Packers threw a massive wrench into Green Bay's plans offensively. It led to an enjoyable game I like to call: Pause Game Pass during Vikings games just before the QB is about to throw and see if there's anyone open. Outside of a well-timed screen call from [Green Bay Head Coach] Matt LaFleur, the answer for the better part of a decisive first half was no. The Vikings just play so soundly, and even when playing crossers where defenders have to switch, there's no hiccups.**

No. 4 (no change): Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

The Vikings are sizzling after nine straight victories, with their offense and defense adding up to dominant football. They just need to cut down on mistakes that make games a little too close.

No. 5 (no change): Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports

If the Vikings win at the Lions in Week 18, do they take over as the Super Bowl favorite? They'd be two home wins from a Super Bowl, and the AFC bracket is probably harder to navigate than the NFC. Either way, this is probably the most underappreciated 14-win team in NFL history.

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