JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Minnesota Vikings' path to the postseason virtually demands they win out, after losing six of their last seven games. And no matter the resume of their opponent on Sunday afternoon, the Vikings need not apologize for coming out of EverBank Field with a 25-16 win over the 2-11 Jacksonville Jaguars.
The victory keeps the Vikings' hopes alive. It sends them home with a winning record, and legitimizes the chance Adrian Peterson could return for a pivotal game on Dec. 24 at Lambeau Field if the Vikings can beat the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday. And at the end of a day where they'd had to claw out of a hole they helped dig for themselves, the Vikings made some of the plays they'd not been able to string together for the better part of two months.