Vikings Bye Week: NFL Week 7 Rooting Interests For Minnesota Fans

There's no Vikings football this week, so let's go over the games to watch and teams to cheer for while Minnesota is on its bye. It's never too early to start looking at the playoff picture.

Divisional foes

Washington Football Team (2-4) at Green Bay Packers (5-1) — 12 p.m. CT, FOX

Rooting interest: WFT

This is the FOX game if you have cable and live in Minnesota (or most of the rest of the country). Since getting smacked by the Saints in Week 1, the Packers are on a five-game winning streak that includes narrow wins over the 49ers and Bengals. They're eight-point favorites over former Vikings QB Taylor Heinicke and Washington in this game, but it's not absurd to think that this could be a close game. Washington winning would bring the Vikings to within 1.5 games of the division lead heading into Week 8, with both of their matchups with the Packers yet to come.

Chicago Bears (3-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) — 3:25 p.m. CT, CBS

Rooting interest: Buccaneers

This one will also be on TV everywhere, unless you live in Texas or Arizona. The Buccaneers are huge 12-point favorites against Justin Fields and the Bears, so Vikings fans just need Tom Brady and company to take care of business and drop Chicago a half-game back in the NFC North standings.

Potential wild card competition

Carolina Panthers (3-3) at New York Giants (1-5) — 12 p.m. CT, FOX

Rooting interest: Giants

The Panthers, Saints, 49ers, and Bears seem to be the four teams that pose the biggest threat to the Vikings for the No. 6 and 7 seeds in the NFC. The Vikings have a head-to-head tiebreaker over Carolina already, but seeing them lose a fourth straight would be helpful. No Christian McCaffrey or Saquon Barkley in this game, sadly.

Indianapolis Colts (2-4) at San Francisco 49ers (2-3) — 7:20 p.m. CT, NBC

Rooting interest: Colts

The Niners are just 2-3, but they're 10th in DVOA and could get hot going forward with Jimmy Garoppolo back and healthy. It would be big for the Vikings if Carson Wentz and the Colts could find a way to win this one on the road on Sunday Night Football.

New Orleans Saints (3-2) at Seattle Seahawks (2-4) — 7:15 p.m. CT, ESPN

Rooting interest: Seahawks

The Saints are half a game ahead of the Vikings right now and have the roster to earn a playoff spot, as long as Jameis Winston is solid at quarterback. The Seahawks winning would help the Vikings, even if it would bring them closer in the wild card race. This one doesn't matter too much, because the Seahawks losing wouldn't be the worst thing either.

Less important

Atlanta Falcons (2-3) at Miami Dolphins (1-5) — 12 p.m. CT, FOX

Rooting interest: Dolphins

Detroit Lions (0-6) at Los Angeles Rams (5-1) — 3:05 p.m. CT, FOX

Rooting interest: Lions

Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) at Las Vegas Raiders (4-2) — 3:05 p.m, CT, FOX

Rooting interest: Raiders

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