The Vikings’ Playoff Outlook | A 2-0 MIN Team is Believing More and More

To be clear, the Vikings’ playoff outlook is still in the early stages. What’s nevertheless true: a win in September counts just as much as a win in December.

The 2-0 Vikings appear to be growing in confidence. And why not? So far, they’ve played a pair of games mostly without the starting passer and have still come out on top both times. Better yet, the wins came over NFC North teams that were better than them last year.

The Vikings’ Playoff Outlook | Continued Perfection the W3 Goal

Vikings Game Info:

On Sunday, September 27th, the Minnesota Vikings will play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers inside of Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. CT. The Bucs are 0-2.

NFC Conference Rankings:

NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings
Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
  1. San Francisco 49ers: 2-0
  2. Seattle Seahawks: 2-0
  3. Philadelphia Eagles: 2-0
  4. Minnesota Vikings: 2-0
  5. Chicago Bears: 1-1
  6. Arizona Cardinals: 1-1
  7. New York Giants: 1-1
  8. Detroit Lions: 1-1
  9. Los Angeles Rams: 1-1
  10. New Orleans Saints: 1-1
  11. Carolina Panthers: 1-1
  12. Dallas Cowboys: 1-1
  13. Green Bay Packers: 1-2
  14. Atlanta Falcons: 1-2
  15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 0-2
  16. Washington Commanders: 0-2

1 Game to Watch:

The Ravens at Cowboys looks like a good one. The AFC team happened to have a stop in the Twin Cities for joint practices back in August, creating a mini connection with Baltimore for 2026. And then there’s Dallas, a team that’s of constant interest despite seldom being particularly formidable. Worth watching, at least during the commercial breaks for the Vikings game. Kickoff is at 3:25 p.m. CT.

The NFL Prophets, Prognosticators, and Pundits:

NFL: Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sep 20, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; a general view of the stadium before a game against the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports thinks Tampa Bay is going to get the job done.

His perspective: “The Vikings are 2-0, while the Bucs are 0-2 and coming off a bad offensive showing in the upset loss against the Browns. That’s never a good way to go into a game against Brian Flores and the Vikings defense. Kyler Murray is back for the Vikings, but this one will be won by the Bucs defense. They finally step up.”

As a counterpoint, check out Jeff Diamond’s best guess in a piece for Vikings Territory.