Lions and Packers' Playoff Success Underscores Importance of Vikings' Offseason

In 2022, the Vikings cruised to the NFC North title by going 13-4, winning the division by four whole games. Each of the other three teams were at least four games below .500 at one point that year. The division, at least for the moment, belonged to Minnesota.

Just a year later, those days are long gone. Not only are the Vikings no longer on top of the North, they're at risk of falling into the cellar in what suddenly looks like a loaded division. The Packers and Lions both won their first-round playoff games on Sunday, meaning two of the four NFC teams who play next weekend will come from the North.

Here's the situation the Vikings find themselves in: Among the other three teams in their division, two are really good and appear set up for sustained success — and the third has the No. 1 overall pick in April. That context reinforces the importance of this offseason in Minnesota. This is a division on the rise, and the Vikings need to find a way to keep up.

The Packers kicked off Sunday's action by going down to Texas and demolishing the second-seeded Cowboys in stunning fashion. They were winning 48-16 in the fourth quarter before a couple late Dallas touchdowns made the final score a bit more respectable. Jordan Love had three TDs and a near-perfect passer rating, Aaron Jones ran for 118 yards and three scores of his own, and the Packers' much-maligned defense picked off Dak Prescott twice. Green Bay became the first No. 7 seed to win a game since the playoffs expanded in 2020. Next up is a trip to San Francisco to face the top-seeded 49ers in the divisional round.

In the night game, the Lions held off old friend Matthew Stafford and the Rams in a dramatic 24-23 victory — their first playoff win since 1991. Because of the Packers' upset win, Detroit will get another home postseason game next weekend against either the Eagles or Buccaneers.

What has to be concerning for Vikings fans is that both teams look poised to be very good for a while.

The Lions won 12 games this year and are stacked with young talent on both sides of the ball. Brad Holmes has crushed the draft and Dan Campbell seems to be an outstanding leader, which is particularly valuable because offensive coordinator Ben Johnson may land a head coaching gig this offseason. Jared Goff is probably headed for a contract extension soon.

The Packers, meanwhile, might just have a third straight great quarterback on their hands. Love was fantastic down the stretch in the regular season and was downright surgical against the Cowboys, dropping dimes off of his back foot all game like his predecessor Aaron Rodgers used to do.

And don't count out the Bears, who won four of their final six games this season. They've got a treasure trove of assets that includes the No. 1 overall pick this year, the No. 9 pick, and a bunch of cap space (the Lions have a ton of cap space, too). Chicago can either trade Justin Fields and take Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, or keep Fields and trade the top pick for a king's ransom for the second year in a row. If they get that decision right, their future will be awfully bright.

Where does that leave the Vikings?

Coming off a disappointing 7-10 season in the final year of their quarterback's contract, it's no secret that this is a massive offseason for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell. The Lions and Packers winning on Sunday doesn't change that — but it does underscore the significance of the decisions that lie ahead. The NFC North is becoming an arms race, and the Vikings are at risk of getting left behind.

What that means is that status quo might not be good enough. The Vikings could re-sign Kirk Cousins, try to improve the roster on the margins, and run it back next season, hoping for better luck with injuries and turnovers. But realistically, would that approach move the needle in this division?

In order to keep up, the Vikings might need to shake things up and take a big swing. Maybe now is the time to trade up in the draft, take Jayden Daniels, and hope he becomes for them what Love has become for the Packers. It would be a risk, of course. But if the Vikings are paying attention to the division around them, they may find that it's a risk they need to take.

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