Despite not playing in Week 12, the Vikings fell from eighth to ninth in USA TODAY’s Week 12 power rankings.
At 8-3, I would make the argument that the Vikings were big winners over the weekend. The Packers got absolutely thumped on Sunday Night Football, tying them for the division lead with the Vikings at 8-3 (the Packers have the tiebreaker, but the two teams face off in Week 16 at U.S. Bank Stadium). The Rams also fell to the Ravens on Monday Night Football and now the Vikings have a full two-game lead over the Rams for the final wild card spot.
The Vikings will have their hands full in Week 13, going up against the 9-2 Seahawks. Seattle ranks fifth in both the rankings and in the NFC standings.
To round out the NFC North, the Packers rank sixth, the Bears rank 22nd and the Lions rank 30th.