Better get used to seeing the Minnesota Vikings atop the NFC standings, because they’re well positioned to clinch the No. 1 seed after a signature victory over the Green Bay Packers.
The Vikings (14–2), who have a nine-game winning streak, might not hold the top spot for long if the Detroit Lions (13–2) handle business Monday night vs. the San Francisco 49ers. But the NFC North title and No. 1 seed will be on the line for the Week 18 showdown between Minnesota and Detroit at Ford Field regardless of what occurs Monday night. The Vikings are in that position because Sam Darnold threw for a career-high 377 yards against Jordan Love and the Packers.
Darnold might need to play at the elite level of Joe Burrow to finally get credit for what he’s doing during this breakout season in Minnesota. But Burrow, who’s playing the quarterback position better than anyone else, probably won’t get a shot to showcase himself in the playoffs.
The Cincinnati Bengals still need plenty of help to advance to the postseason because they got none from the Cleveland Browns, who lost to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. But the Browns’ loss did help the future of the franchise, which now sits at No. 3 in the 2025 draft order after Drew Lock led the New York Giants to a surprising win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Here’s what we learned about the Vikings, Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Colts and the race for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.
Vikings capable of taking NFC’s No. 1 seed after smothering Packers
If a 27–25 victory over the Packers isn’t enough to turn the Vikings’ doubters into believers, perhaps a Week 18 victory over the Lions to clinch the NFC’s No. 1 seed will be enough to change the narrative.
It’s laughable that some need that much convincing to believe in Darnold’s Vikings, but they’re certainly capable of winning in Detroit after what they showed during an impressive, complete performance against a Packers squad that beat the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints by a combined 51 points the past two weeks.
I can hear it now: “Darnold threw a low ball to Cam Akers. He’s going to cost his team eventually.” But Darnold doesn’t look like he’ll be turning into a pumpkin anytime soon. He’s in the perfect situation under coach Kevin O’Connell, who’s now 30–9 in one-score games. Akers made an impressive catch to haul in Darnold’s low pass on the third-down conversion that sealed the victory over Green Bay. Akers is one of many players on the Vikings’ offense who can contribute on any given day. Justin Jefferson (eight catches, 92 yards) and Jordan Addison (six catches, 69 yards, one touchdown) were too much for the Packers’ defense, but running back Aaron Jones, wide receiver Jalen Nailor and tight end T.J. Hockenson also made plenty of plays.
Darnold doesn’t need to be perfect with elite playmakers and an excellent coaching staff, but he again did his part, going 33-of-43 for 377 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
The Packers had a valiant effort to make it a one-score game in the final two minutes after trailing 27–10, but Jordan Love (19-of-30, 185 yards, one touchdown) was frustrated most of the game by the Vikings’ aggressive defense. Brian Flores’s blitz-heavy defense held Green Bay to 271 total yards and hit Love eight times.
Minnesota is a complete team that’s capable of beating Detroit and the Philadelphia Eagles in the postseason. The Packers (11–5) aren’t on that level after dropping to 0–5 this season against those top three teams.
Shedeur Sanders could still end up in New York
Welp, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders might need new cleats after the Giants lost hold of the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft on Sunday.
A day after showing off custom Giants cleats before the Alamo Bowl, Sanders could now end up with the Tennessee Titans after Drew Lock guided New York to a shocking 45–33 victory over the Colts. The Giants (3–13) fell from first to fourth in the draft order after the upset victory, with the Browns moving up to third, the Titans (3–13) to second and the Patriots (3–13) now having first dibs for April’s draft. The Patriots, however, appear set with rookie quarterback Drake Maye and could opt to pair him with Sanders’s Colorado teammate, Travis Hunter, the dynamic two-way player and Heisman Trophy winner.
But Sanders, possibly the best QB prospect in the draft, should still hold on to those Giants cleats because this race for the top pick is far from over. The Giants, Patriots and Titans will be playing playoff teams that will likely be sitting their starters during the final week of the regular season. The Browns are facing the Baltimore Ravens, who are still battling with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC North title.
Titans coach Brian Callahan might be desperate for a win versus the Texans’ backups to show the front office he’s deserving of a second season after how poorly things went in 2024. And the Patriots kept it close against Buffalo in Week 16 and now will likely see Bills backup Mitchell Trubisky at home Sunday.
Then again, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Lock produce another win against the Eagles’ backups in Week 18. But if the Giants end up with at least a top-four pick, there’s still a decent chance Sanders ends up in New York. Perhaps the Titans will favor Miami quarterback Cam Ward or the Patriots would be willing to trade the pick to New York, which might not come at a high price with this draft being viewed as a down year for quarterback prospects. It’s unknown how New York views the top QB prospects, but the Giants had a handful of executives in attendance to scout Sanders during the Alamo Bowl.
The draft order could change again next week, but Giants fans must be sick about seeing 10 consecutive losses only to lose the top pick the following week in a meaningless game in Week 17. Maybe Saquon Barkley will do them a favor and lead the Eagles to a Week 18 victory against the Giants.
Barkley, Eagles should focus on health instead of Dickerson’s record
With the Eagles (13–3) appearing locked into the No. 2 seed, coach Nick Sirianni and Barkley should have nothing to discuss when it comes to playing in the regular-season finale against the Giants. Rest and health should be the top priority.
It would undoubtedly be sweet for Barkley to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record against his former team. But with the NFC’s No. 1 seed out of reach for Philadelphia after Minnesota’s win over the Packers, the Eagles should save Barkley and not have him force 101 rushing yards in a meaningless game to surpass Dickerson’s record 2,105 yards.
Barkley did make some history during Sunday’s 41–7 blowout win vs. the Dallas Cowboys in becoming the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Barkley, who has 2,005 rushing yards, received a nice ovation from the Philadelphia crowd after reaching the milestone on a 23-yard run in the fourth quarter. Credit to Sirianni for taking a timeout to allow the crowd and players to celebrate with Barkley on his 2K achievement.
Records are great, but Super Bowls are better. We’ll find out soon what Sirianni and Barkley decide to do when it comes to chasing Dickerson.
Colts’ embarrassing loss could lead to changes
Coach Shane Steichen might be wondering about his job security after suffering the kind of loss that could lead to an erratic NFL owner making drastic decisions.
Indianapolis (7–9) was eliminated from postseason contention after the embarrassing loss to the lowly Giants, who scored more than 40 points for the first time since 2019. To make matters worse, Anthony Richardson was ruled out due to a back injury, leading to more concerns about the 2023 first-round pick’s durability issues.
Steichen has done enough, in my opinion, to get a third season in Indianapolis. He had many positives last season, including being in contention for the AFC South crown until the final week of the regular season. But it doesn’t bode well for Steichen that Richardson has failed to improve as a passer in his second season. Even if Steichen returns, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see changes on the defensive side. Gus Bradley’s defense ranks in the bottom half of most major statistical categories. Also, rookie first-round edge rusher Laiatu Latu has had somewhat of a quiet first season with only four sacks.
As for another potential major change, the Colts could decide to add quarterback competition for Richardson, who was benched earlier this year for his inability to distribute the ball to his playmakers. Wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. (nine catches, 109 yards, one touchdown) and Alec Pierce (six catches, 122 yards, one touchdown) played better this season with backup Joe Flacco, who went 26-of-38 for 330 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions vs. the Giants. But padding the stats against a team that had a 10-game losing streak probably won’t be enough to prevent Colts owner Jim Irsay from demanding changes for 2025.
Bengals still longshots to squeak into the playoffs
The Bengals (8–8) did themselves a huge favor by defeating the Denver Broncos (9–7) on Saturday night and even received help from the Giants defeating the Colts. The race for the AFC’s final playoff spot is now down to three teams with the Broncos, Bengals and Dolphins (8–8).
But the high-scoring Bengals are still a longshot to advance into the postseason. The same applies to the Dolphins, who kept their playoff hopes alive by defeating the Browns, 20–3, despite the absence of Tua Tagovailoa. (Tyler Huntley filled in at quarterback and played excellently, completing 22 of 26 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown, along with 52 rushing yards and another score on seven carries.)
It’s tough imagining the Broncos losing at home in Week 18 against the Kansas City Chiefs’ backups. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the rest of the Chiefs’ starters aren’t expected to play because they clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed with the Christmas Day win over the Steelers. Sure, stranger things have happened—like the Giants beating the Colts. But Bo Nix and the Broncos just went toe-to-toe with Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and nearly beat the Bengals in overtime.
Denver isn’t a Super Bowl contender, but this team is good enough to beat Carson Wentz and the Chiefs’ backups next week to clinch the final playoff spot. But if the Broncos somehow lose, then the Dolphins can steal the seventh seed with a win against the struggling New York Jets, who just got crushed, 40–14, by the Bills. If Denver and Miami lose, then Cincinnati would get the spot with a Week 18 win. But it won’t be easy for the Bengals to win in Pittsburgh against a team still fighting for the AFC North title.
It’s a shame that Burrow and his elite offense probably won’t get to showcase themselves in the postseason. A wild-card battle between Burrow and Josh Allen would be a dream matchup. But it appears more likely we’ll get the second-seeded Bills against the Broncos, who would at least offer more than the Dolphins, who have a six-game losing streak against Buffalo.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as What We Learned in Week 17: Vikings Capable of Earning NFC’s No. 1 Seed.