Minnesota Vikings playoff chances? Five things to know after Sunday's setback

Kicking has often prevented the Vikings from advancing in the playoffs. But this year, kicking might stop the Vikings from getting to the playoffs.

Dan Bailey missed four kicks on Sunday in Tampa in a game the Buccaneers won 26-14. With the loss, the Vikings fell to 6-7 and out of the playoff picture with three games remaining in the regular season.

Minnesota now has a 20% chance of making the playoffs, according to fivethirtyeight.com. the analytics site that focuses on politics and sports. The New York Times puts Minnesota's chances at 25%

So while things look bleaker for the Vikings, they haven't reached out-of-it status. A crowd of teams is hovering around the seventh and final wild card spot in the NFC.

Here are five things Vikings fans need to know about Week 14 results and what each means for Minnesota:

1. Packers make wildcard route the only route for Vikings after 31-24 victory over Lions

The Vikings probably weren't going to win the division, but now they officially can't. With Green Bay's victory and Minnesota's loss, the Packers secured the NFC North with a four-game lead over the second-place Vikings.

The Packers winning wasn't bad for the Vikings, though. The Lions fell to 5-8, one spot behind the Vikings.

2. Arizona becomes greatest challenger to Minnesota's playoff hopes after 26-7 victory over Giants

Minnesota needed help from the New York Giants but received none. Arizona pass rusher Haason Reddick tallied five sacks and moved the Cardinals into the seventh and final playoff spot, bumping the Vikings to eighth in the NFC.

If Minnesota wins out, the Cardinals will be the team to watch. Arizona has games against Philadelphia (4-8-1), San Francisco (5-8) and the Los Angeles Rams (9-4) to close out the season.

If the final spot comes down to Minnesota and Arizona, the Vikings will need the Cardinals to lose at least one game. If they both end up at 9-7, which would mean Minnesota wins out, the tiebreaker moves to conference games.

The Vikings are 4-5 in conference games while Arizona is 5-4. Both teams only play NFC games to close out the season. So, if they end up with the same record, the tiebreaker moves to common games.

In common games this season (Detroit, Carolina, Dallas, Seattle), Minnesota has a slight edge with a 2-2 record while Arizona is 2-3. The only game that could change this – the Vikings-Lions game in Week 17.

3. Seattle and Tampa Bay victories make No. 7 seed most likely route for Vikings

The Seahawks had no trouble defeating the Jets on Sunday, improving to 9-4. So, the Vikings can't finish with a better record than Seattle, and the Seahawks hold the head-to-head because of the one-point victory when they played the Vikings in October.

Now, the Rams have the same record, so Seattle could still win the NFC West. That would force the Rams to compete for a wild card spot. But for that to really matter to the Vikings, the Rams would have to lose out. Don't count on that, based on how well as the Rams have played in the second half of the season.

Mathematically, the Vikings could jump over Tampa Bay. Yes, even after the loss Sunday. However, the Buccaneers (8-5) would have to lose out and Minnesota would have to win out.

So it's better to keep your focus on that No. 7 spot.

4. Chicago lurking behind Minnesota after dominant victory over Texans

The Bears aren't done just yet. They won 36-7 over Houston and now have the same record as the Vikings. Minnesota remains one spot ahead in the standings because of the victory over Nick Foles and crew in November.

Oh by the way, the Bears come to Minneapolis this week.

It's not a must-win game mathematically for the Vikings, but it might as well be. After the Vikings, the Bears close out their season against Jacksonville, which is 1-12, and the Packers, who could well rest their best playing in a Week 17 match-up that may not have much meaning. Vikings fans should hope for the Packers to need to win for a first-round bye.

5. Keep an eye on the NFC East

Chances aren't great that an NFC East team has much of an effect on where the Vikings land. But don't stop paying attention just yet to what has often looked like the league's worst division.

Washington has moved to 6-7 after winning four consecutive games to take the division lead and the No. 4 seed. And the Giants aren't out of the wild card picture just yet with a 5-8 record, although it will be tough to climb back.

And worth mentioning: Philadelphia upset top-seeded New Orleans on Sunday. That ultimately bumped the Packers up to the top seed in the NFC for now.