What are the dream (and nightmarish) scenarios for the Vikings in the playoffs?

The Vikings have the second-best record in the NFC and are tied for the second-best record in the NFL, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks they’re close to being the second-best team in the league. .

If a fantasy-enchanted season is going to turn into a major post-season streak, the Vikings will likely need the kind of pre- and playoff breaks they’ve received so far compiling an 11- 3.

While I think the season will be remembered no matter what happens in the playoffs, there’s definitely a sliding scale based on what happens in the playoffs.

As such, I spoke on Friday’s Daily Delivery podcast about dream (and nightmare) scenarios of how the playoff seeding and schedule could unfold over the final three weeks of the regular season. .

Best case scenario: Short of the highly unlikely prospect of getting the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye – a 1% chance, according to FiveThirtyEight, that would force the Vikings to win and the Eagles to lose – the best thing for the Vikings would be …

• Hanging on to the No. 2 seed would guarantee the Vikings a home game in the Divisional Round if they progress in the first weekend.
• Playing against a mediocre No. 7 seed like Washington or Seattle in the first round.
• Having the No. 6 seed knocking down the No. 3 49ers in the first round, giving the Vikings an easier path to the NFC title game, while the No. 4 seed knocks Dallas down.
• Lose the Eagles in the Divisional Round, so the NFC title game is in Minneapolis. It’s highly unlikely, but there is a way for the Vikings to avoid the 49ers, Cowboys and Eagles on their way to the Super Bowl.

worst case scenario: Here again, we are dealing with realistic nightmarish situations…

• The Vikings drop to the No. 3 seed while the Giants beat Dallas in the standings. That would make the Cowboys the No. 6 seed and set up a rematch of that 40-3 nightmare in the very first playoff game. This scenario becomes more plausible if the Vikings lose to the Giants on Saturday while Dallas loses to the Eagles.
• Or…the Vikings, as the No. 2 or No. 3 seed, end up facing a surging team in the wildcard round. The Lions seem like a particularly bad game, while Green Bay — however unlikely their playoff hopefuls are — would conjure up a lot of nasty thoughts.

The likely reality is this: The Vikings will be favored in the wild card round and should be able to earn a playoff victory. After that, a Divisional Round game could be against a much better team than the Vikings, no matter what the records say.