Vikings staff projections for the remaining five weeks

The Minnesota Vikings 2023 season is at a crossroads.

With a record of 6-6, the Vikings have appeared both dead in the water and a legitimate contender to win the NFC North. They have already lost their last two games after winning five straight, all without superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

The Vikings’ bye week comes at an ideal moment. Jefferson has returned off injured reserve and will face the Las Vegas Raiders in week 14. It also allows players like Akayleb Evans and Marcus Davenport to return to the field for one more week.

Our experts predicted the Vikings’ final five games of the season.

Tyler Forness is the managing editor of this publication.

The Vikings have five games remaining, three on the road and three against divisional opponents. It will be intriguing to watch where the Vikings finish the season.

Both games against the Raiders and Bengals are winnable, but because they are on the road, one is certain to be lost, as are the two games against the Detroit Lions. The Vikings are projected to win their game against the Green Bay Packers, bringing their record to 3-2. If this stays true, they will be 9-8 at the end of the season and the likely winners of a wild card berth.

3-2 is my prediction.

Journalist Judd Zulgad

It’s unclear if Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, or Jaren Hall will start when the Vikings return from their bye week on Dec. 10 in Las Vegas, but whoever does will benefit from the long-awaited return of Pro Bowl wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Jefferson has been out since suffering a hamstring injury against Kansas City in Week 5. The turnaround of the Vikings’ defense has been one of the season’s better stories, and the unit has proven that its success is no fluke. Winning three of their next five games would give the Vikings a 9-8 record and a chance to make the playoffs.

3-2 is my prediction.

Saivion Mixon is a columnist.

This bye week could not have arrived at a more convenient moment.

Back-to-back losses in which the offense did just enough to steal victory from the jaws of defeat. The defense has been flawless. It’s been exciting to watch how we’ve been attacking quarterbacks in different ways and keeping rival quarterbacks on their toes.

However, this offense is now disconnected. The quarterback position is up in the air, and no one knows how it will shake out. The only light at the end of the tunnel is the realization that Justin Jefferson will be a full-time contributor to the offense again, opening up the attack in ways that weren’t conceivable while he was nursing his hamstring injury.

With this final stretch featuring two games against the division-leading Detroit Lions, the always-talented Cincinnati Bengals, and newly motivated clubs in the Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders, three victories in five games feels optimistic. But when you can win five games without probably the most dominant non-QB in the NFL, maybe a little optimism is in order.

3-2 is my prediction.

Chris Spooner is a columnist.

A lot rides on how the Detroit Lions perform this season. If the Lions have complete control of the NFC North by the time they encounter the Vikings, I don’t believe it’s a stretch to imagine Minnesota might go on another five-game winning run to finish the season. However, if the Lions still have something to play for in that first game, the Vikings are certain to lose.

The same can be said for the second meeting with the Lions. I believe Detroit will have secured the victory before then, and Minnesota will walk away with the victory. Things could get hairy with the Raiders and Bengals, but I have the Vikings winning both of those games and sweeping the Green Bay Packers to finish 4-1 after the bye.

4-1 is my prediction.