NFL Divisional Round Scenario: Who will the winner of Vikings vs. Giants face?
The winner of the NFL wild-card round game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants will have very different options between then.
Per playoff rules, the divisional round puts the highest remaining seed against the lowest remaining seed, meaning all games are decided only when the first round is over. However, depending on who wins between Minnesota and New York, their opponents are already decided because the San Francisco 49ers confirmed their favoritism and eliminated the Seattle Seahawks.
Whoever wins this game will know their next opponent regardless of the outcome of the Monday Night Football between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the fifth and fourth seeds.
Let's check who the Vikings and the Giants face in the divisional round.
Vikings win: play 49ers in the next round
A wild card win for Minnesota will see them play San Francisco in the divisional round, as they're both 'middle' seeds.
The Philadelphia Eagles, as the higher seed, will play whoever wins the game between the Cowboys and the Buccaneers. Regardless of what happens with the winner of the MNF, they're going to be the worst seed remaining.
The two teams also played in the 2019 NFL divisional round, and it was an easy win for Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers. They trounced the Vikings and advanced to the Super Bowl, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The game will be played at Levi's Stadium, home of the 49ers.
Giants win: play Eagles in the next round
A wild card win for New York will see them play Philadelphia in the divisional round, as they'll be the lowest seed and, because of the seeding rules, have to go against the highest remaining seed.
If the Giants beat the Vikings, the 49ers would play whoever wins between the Cowboys and the Buccaneers, as San Francisco and the winner would be the middle seeds.
Philadelphia and New York played twice during the 2022 season as they are division rivals. The Eagles won both games against the Giants this season.
The game will happen at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Eagles.