For all the unfortunate events that have happened over the course of this Minnesota Vikings season, we can never say that it was boring. From a triumphant comeback win against the Bears in week 1, to the wild stretch of games with Carson Wentz at quarterback, to the recent resurgence of the offense, every week has had a unique storyline. The Vikings aren’t playing for much in these final few games, which is ironic considering their victories over the Cowboys and Commanders were some of their most impressive games yet. Still, there is sure to be more intrigue in these matchups, so I took the liberty of making some bold predictions for each of the final three games.
At Giants: The Defense Forces Four Turnovers
Jaxson Dart has been a revelation at the QB position in New York, but that hasn’t really translated to wins thus far. Additionally, he’s missed a lot of time due to injury and has made some unwise decisions with the football. The Vikings’ defense has finally hit a stride when it comes to creating stops, and I expect them to show up in a big way this Sunday. Dallas Turner is starting at edge rusher with Jonathan Greenard out for the rest of the season, and I think he’ll kick things off with a strip sack. I expect Byron Murphy and Fabian Moreau to also have an interception each. To top it off, I think that a well-placed Ryan Wright punt will force a returner fumble that goes the Vikings’ way. This prediction is completely baseless, but my gut tells me that Brian Flores’ ball-hawking defense will be in rare form on Sunday.
Lions: McCarthy Sweeps Division Foe in Shootout
The Vikings’ defense handled Jared Goff and the Lions pretty easily during their last matchup, but I expect things to go differently this time. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown are both gaining momentum, so the Vikings’ offense will have to be in top form to keep up. J.J. McCarthy has been steadily improving the last few weeks, and I think he has a chance to erupt in a high-scoring game against a secondary that has struggled in big moments this season. Perhaps even Justin Jefferson will get back on track as the Vikings put up 40+ points in an awe-inspiring victory.
Packers: A Close Loss Doesn’t Put a Damper on Season
Last time the Vikings played the Packers, they were completely dominated at every phase of the game. With the team getting home-field advantage behind them, I expect that they’ll play much better this time around. Still, I think the Packers will have a lot to play for and will create chaos on defense, even without Micah Parsons. The result will be a loss that doesn’t feel world-ending. The draft pick will go up, and the Vikings will go into the offseason with a lot of questions, but also some optimism. McCarthy seems to be growing as a quarterback, and many of the most important pieces on the offensive and defensive lines will still be around. It’s a long off-season and an agonizing wait until Fall for more football, but with a few late-season wins and impressive starts from their first-year quarterback, Vikings fans won’t despair as much as they might have if the season had ended after week 12.
