Scoreboard watching: The Vikings make the playoffs if ...

The Vikings will make the playoffs if:
This week:

1. The Vikings beat Green Bay today.

2. Washington loses in Chicago this week (or against the Giants next week).

3. Tampa Bay loses at New Orleans.

Keep in mind:

If Detroit wins at Dallas on Monday, the Lions clinch the NFC North and the three-way tie scenario next week becomes moot. If Detroit loses, there's an added layer for the Vikings.)

Next week:

1. The Vikings beat Chicago on New Year's Day.

2. Green Bay loses at Detroit

3.. Tampa Bay loses to Carolina.

4. Washington loses to the Giants after beating Chicago. (If the Bears beat Washington, Washington isn't a factor.)

Keep in mind:

The Vikings need to avoid a three-way tie for the division title at 9-7. (This happens if the Vikings win both of their games, the Lions lose both and Green Bay loses to Minnesota and beats Detroit.)

If that happens, the Lions and Packers would be in.

Why? Because the teams end up 2-2 in games against each other, the games played against the Bears would be thrown into the mix.

Both Green Bay and Detroit beat the Bears twice.

But the Vikings lost to the Bears in Chicago on Halloween.

According to the website FiveThirtyEight.com, the Vikings had a three percent chance of making the playoffs heading into Saturday's game.

And if you want to know all of the NFL tie-breaker rules for the playoff, here they are.