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The Minnesota Vikings could
clinch a playoff berth with either a win, a loss or a tie.
Just another crazy scenario for one of the league's most bizarre teams.
Minnesota looks to win the NFC North Division, or at least the last wild-card berth in the conference when it concludes its regular season against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Vikings are tied for the division lead with the Green Bay Packers, and can qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2000 in a number of different ways.
Minnesota can clinch
its first North division title with either a win over Arizona, or a Green Bay
loss to Denver, or if both the Vikings and Packers tie their games.
The Vikings can also clinch a playoff berth if Seattle loses to San Francisco,
or if Minnesota ties Arizona and the Seahawks tie the 49ers.
But this weekend, it's anyone's guess as to which Vikings team will show up.
Minnesota began the season with six straight wins, then lost its next four, and has now alternated a win and a loss in its last five games.
Four of the Vikings' six losses this season have come against teams with losing records -- the New York Giants (4-11), San Diego Chargers (3-12), Oakland Raiders (4-11) and Chicago Bears (7-8).
The Vikings lost 13-10 to the Bears on Dec. 14, but then blew out the most productive offense in the AFC when they beat the Kansas City Chiefs 45-20 at the Metrodome last Saturday.
``It was a good game for our team coming off of the loss in Chicago when we could have made things easy on ourselves,'' Vikings coach Mike Tice said. ``I don't think we know how to do that, so we'll continue to try to find a reason why at times we play not as good.
``We don't execute as well against teams that have lesser records, not to say they're bad teams. They have lesser records. There really aren't, contrary to what people write, any bad teams in the National Football League.''
One of those teams with a lesser record is the Cardinals, who are tied with the Chargers for the worst mark in the league.
Arizona fell 28-10 in Seattle last week for its seventh straight loss, and could be on the verge of receiving the No. 1 pick in April's draft.
The Cardinals are in the market for a quarterback, and could select Mississippi's Eli Manning if they get the top pick.
Arizona began the year with Jeff Blake as its starting quarterback, but has turned to second-year player Josh McCown the last two weeks. McCown has gone 39-for-65 for 446 yards with one touchdown and two turnovers, but despite losing both starts, coach Dave McGinnis likes what he sees.
``I thought Josh again continued to develop,'' McGinnis said. ``There are going to be a lot of new things that come up for him for several games as he continues to play his way into the position in the NFL.
``I've been impressed with Josh. I think that he has shown that he belongs as a quarterback in the league.''
Minnesota has won the last five meetings with Arizona, including a 41-21 win at the Metrodome in the 1999 NFC Divisional playoff.
But Tice knows not to take the Cardinals lightly. Arizona has played well at home this season, and Minnesota is 1-15 in its last 16 games played outdoors.
``We all know the record on the grass,'' Tice said. ``It gives us an extra focus. We can't go in there and look at their record. They like their head coach. They're going to play hard for their head coach.
``We still control our own
destiny so we just have to go out there and play excellent football.''