EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Soon enough, the crowded NFC playoff picture will gain more clarity over the season's final stretch. But heck, this conference is a lot easier to decipher than the mess of records that make up the AFC standings.

For the Minnesota Vikings, Week 13 begins what coach Mike Zimmer last week dubbed a "five-game championship drive." It's a chance for the Vikings to take another step toward a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs.

"They're dangerous because they're so fast," Adam Thielen, left, with fellow WR Stefon Diggs, said of the Atlanta defense that gets the next crack at ending the Vikings' win streak. Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire

In the midst of three consecutive road games, Minnesota heads to Atlanta on Sunday with a 9-2 record, a seven-game win streak and three-game lead in the NFC North. In Week 14, it's Carolina, which is currently riding a four-game win streak and is tied for first place in the NFC South with New Orleans, a team the Vikings beat in Week 1.

The opportunity for Minnesota to further control of its own destiny lies in these next two games. Victories against the Falcons and Panthers would separate the Vikings from the rest of the pack and keep them in line for nothing lower than a No. 2 seed.

"They're huge," tight end Kyle Rudolph said. "These are two teams that we'll be battling for playoff spots and potentially home field in the playoffs. These are two great challenges for us, two really good teams. You look at the last two NFC champions. We have to go to their house and win."

For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, playing against the two most recent franchises to represent the NFC on the biggest stage is a challenge that will show the Vikings how ready they are to face the caliber of competition they'd see in the postseason.

"We have to get battle tested," defensive end Everson Griffen said. "It's all-in right now. We all have laser-point focus on what's at hand."

The Vikings aim to follow the same path the Falcons took after going through their own streak of adversity. After starting 5-0 in 2015 and sliding to an 8-8 finish, Atlanta recovered in 2016 to face the Patriots in Super Bowl LI.

Last season, Minnesota also started out 5-0 before collapsing in the final 11 games. One year later, the Vikings boast the second-best record in the NFC.

"Obviously we had a lot of injuries [in 2016], but down the stretch we had some ballgames we were in that very easily could have won and just weren't able to finish them off," defensive end Brian Robison said. "I think it helped us focus this year. I also think it helps us realize that it doesn't matter how many games you win, it can go south real quick if you don't stay focused."

The Vikings catch the Falcons at a time where Atlanta (7-4) has put up 95 points in three straight wins. Minnesota is the final team they'll face from the NFC North after opening the season with victories over Chicago, Green Bay and Detroit. Atlanta's recent offensive resurgence was backed in Week 12 by Julio Jones' 253-yard, two touchdown performance.

And while Minnesota's top-five defense will catch most of the headlines, Atlanta's refurbished pass rush and speed pose a big threat.

"They're dangerous because they're so fast," Vikings receiver Adam Thielen said. "For a team to be able to play well and play zone for a majority of the game, you have to be fast and you have to be able to be smart football players. I think it's a big reason why they were able to go to the Super Bowl last year because they were playing really well together."

NFL Playoff Machine See what the latest playoff picture looks like and simulate your own playoff scenarios.

NFL Playoff Machine

Minnesota is second behind one-loss Philadelphia in the NFC standings. The Eagles will have to wait until Sunday to lock up the NFC East after the Cowboys beat the Redskins to stay afloat in the playoff picture.

Philadelphia's upcoming stretch rivals the difficulty of Minnesota's with road games against the Seahawks and Rams, respectively, in Weeks 13 and 14.

For the Vikings, the next two weeks could give them invaluable head-to-head wins over the Saints, Rams, Falcons and Panthers, which buys them the inside track to the No. 1 seed should the Eagles stumble.

Seven teams boast a record of 7-4 or better, creating a much tighter race in the NFC than its counterpart.

Despite their prime position, the Vikings remain adamant that they're not looking past this weekend. A chance to tighten their grip on one of the top spots in the playoffs is at stake, a reason why they're not resting on what they've achieved so far.

"We haven't accomplished anything yet," Rudolph said. "We've set ourselves up in a great spot, but being 9-2 only guarantees us that we won't finish worse than 9-7. ... Everything that we want to do is still in front of us and we have to go out and work for it."