The No. 6 seed Commanders are impressive and promising, largely because of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. But how often does a rookie quarterback lead a playoff run? Last year, C.J. Stroud was the league’s best rookie quarterback, and he led Houston to a first-round victory over Cleveland but lost in the division round to Baltimore, 34-10.
The No. 7 seed Packers lost top-speed receiver Christian Watson to a knee injury last week, and starting quarterback Jordan Love is dealing with an injured elbow. The Packers have lost two in a row and three of their past five.
Even after the loss in Detroit, the Vikings have a reasonable path to the Super Bowl.
This would be a good month for the Vikings to have a good month, to stave off typical Viking regrets.