A couple of Vikings playoff thoughts if you're curious:

Should you be hoping for a wild-card berth or the division title at this point?

Probably the wild card. Detroit is 9-4 and has the tiebreaker edge over the Vikings because of head-to-head wins. If the Lions go at least 1-2 down the stretch, the Vikings cannot win the division. That said, Detroit has some challenging games left (at Giants, at Cowboys, home vs. Green Bay).

Are there any bad signs when it comes to the playoffs?

Yes. The Vikings' conference record is just 4-6, which could come into play as a tiebreaker.

What the Vikings need to avoid is a two-way tiebreaker with Tampa Bay because Minnesota will lose that based on conference record (Tampa will finish no worse than 7-5 in the conference assuming a 9-7 or better overall finish while the Vikings will finish no better than 6-6 in the conference).

Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. mrand@startribune.com