What does this weekend mean for the Vikings?

I suppose I could just wait two days and see what happens, but I've been trying to figure out all the play-off implications of this week's games. One thing is settled about the NFC play-offs: New Orleans has backed into home field advantage throughout the play-offs. Green Bay will probably be the top wild-card team, but it's down to the Vikings, Cardinals, and the winner of the Eagles vs Cowboys game to decide who finishes 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the play-off seeding, and to figure out how Packers and Eagles or Cowboys will fill out the wild cards. Here's how it works from the Vikings perspective:

Vikings beat Giants - if the Vikings win, they immediately check the score of the Eagles-Cowboys game.


If the Cowboys win, the Vikings have a bye week and home field against everybody but New Orleans, and would likely play the Cardinals in the divisional round (or potentially the Cowboys, Packers or Eagles).
If the Eagles win, the Vikings do not get a bye week and would host the Cowboys in the first round, then hypothetically travel to Philadelphia. They would only return to the Dome after a win over the Eagles if the Packers or Cardinals were to bump off the Saints.
Other amusing consequences: The Packers and Cardinals likely play a repeat game the following week (unless the Cowboys beat the Eagles).

Giants beat Vikings - the Vikings lose the bye week and check the score of the Packers-Cardinals game


If the Cardinals win, the Vikings have the 4th seed and host the Packers in the first round.
If the Packers win, the Vikings have the 3rd seed and host the loser of the Eagles-Cowboys game in the wild card round.

Pete and Repeat?

It's quite possible one or both of two big games will be repeated the following week. Really if the home teams win this week (Vikings beat the Giants, Cowboys beat the Eagles, Cardinals beat the Packers) both games will be repeated the following week as elimination games.

Eagles at Cowboys

If the Cowboys win (thereby winning the division) and the Packers also win, this game is repeated. Otherwise either Philly wins and takes a week off, or they flip opponents with the other game (Eagles to Arizona, Packers to Dallas).

Packers at Cardinals

This game is hard not to repeat. The Packers stay in Arizona unless they win and the Cowboys win (in which case the Packers go to Dallas, and the Eagles to Arizona), or the Packers and Vikings both lose, in which case they meet each other! For Green Bay it's like this: beat the Cardinals and they either stay in Arizona or go to Dallas. Lose and they either stay in Arizona or go to Minnesota. Honestly given the deranged cockiness of Packers fans, they'll probably claim they threw the game to "try and get another shot at Favre".

In any case, if the Vikings beat the Giants, the Packers and Cardinals will kick off knowing the only way they aren't playing each other again the next week is a Cowboys win. Kind of funny.