After falling to the Green Bay Packers in Week 16, the Minnesota Vikings were locked into being the No. 6 seed in this season’s NFC playoff bracket.
Many viewed this as a disadvantage for the Vikings and their chances in the postseason this year. But recent playoff history would seem to indicate otherwise.
Since 2013, the teams who entered the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in either the AFC or the NFC have a combined record of 8-4 in the first round of the postseason. Last year, the No. 6 seeded teams in each conference (Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC and Indianapolis Colts in the AFC) both escaped their first-round playoff matchups with wins.