In a messy wild-card race, the Packers hurt the Vikings’ playoff chances.

Hot streaks by the Rams and Packers have made the NFC wild-card battle far more competitive than it appeared a week or two ago.

The NFC is top heavy entering Week 14, when the Vikings face the Raiders, with the Eagles, 49ers, and Lions in the top three slots, followed by the 6-6 Falcons, who lead the South. The Cowboys lead the way with a 9-3 record, followed by the Vikings, Rams, Seahawks, and Packers, all of which are 6-6 and competing for the final two wild cards.

With the 5-7 Buccaneers and 5-7 Saints in the mix, the final five weeks of the regular season are likely to be crazy.

These are the playoff prospects for the aforementioned clubs, according to Sumer Sports.

Packers (57.8%)

Saints (55.6%)

Falcons (49.2%).

Seattle Seahawks – 47.7%

Vikings have 44.1% of the vote.

Rams – 22.8%

Buccaneers (20.5%).

Here are the Week 14 games that are most important for the NFC wild-card race.

At 12 p.m., the Buccaneers will face the Falcons. Panthers vs. Saints, 12 p.m. Sunday, 12 p.m., Rams vs. Ravens. Vikings vs. Raiders, 3:05 p.m. Seahawks vs. 49ers, 3:05 p.m. Sunday, 7:15 p.m., Packers vs. Giants. Monday

Because the Giants are bad, the Packers are likely to win and improve to 7-6. The 49ers are fantastic, so the Seahawks dropping to 6-7 looks promising. The Vikings-Raiders game is a toss-up, therefore the Vikings might finish 7-6 or 6-7. Because the Ravens are so good, the Rams will most certainly finish 6-7. Because the Panthers are terrible, the Saints should improve to 6-7. The Bucs-Falcons game may go either way, with the Bucs winning 5-8 or 6-7 and the Falcons winning 7-6 or 6-7.

It’s a mess, but if you’re a Vikings fan, all you need to know is that the Packers are likely to finish 7-6, so a win over the Raiders is incredibly important.

When we get these crucial matches in Week 15, things get a little greasy.

The Rams play the Raiders at 7:15 p.m. The Vikings play the Bengals at 12 p.m. on Thursday. The Buccaneers play the Packers at 12 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday, 12 p.m., Giants vs. Saints. Falcons vs. Panthers, 12 p.m. Commanders vs. Rams, Sunday, 3:05 p.m. Eagles vs. Seahawks, 7:15 p.m. Monday

The Buccaneers aren’t a given for the Packers, but playing at home in December surely helps, so this screams “THE PACKERS ARE 8-6.” Because the Bengals do not have Joe Burrow, Minnesota has a good opportunity to win even though they are playing on the road, as long as Josh Dobbs or whoever is playing quarterback does not turn the ball over 50 times.

It’s pointless to look past Week 15, so simply know that the Packers and Rams, both on three-game winning streaks, are new obstacles the Vikings must avoid in order to keep their postseason berth.