Vikings preview: Picking the schedule game-by-game
The Vikings have one of the NFL's most difficult schedules this season. So how will they do? A prediction on each game.
The Vikings enter the season with the fifth-hardest schedule in the NFL based on the projected win totals for each team, according to Sharp Football Analysis. With that in mind, here are predictions for each game.
Week 1 at Chicago: Vikings win, record 1-0. New Bears coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams are getting all of the attention, but coach Kevin O’Connell and QB J.J. McCarthy, in his first season as the Vikings’ starter, will be the better pairing early in the season.
Week 2 vs. Atlanta: Vikings win, 2-0. After opening on Monday night, the Vikings will beat the Falcons and Michael Penix Jr. in their home opener on Sunday night. Penix will struggle with defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ scheme and also the noise in U.S. Bank Stadium.
Week 3 vs. Cincinnati: Vikings lose, 2-1. The Bengals’ defense is suspect, but Joe Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and he’s working with a wide receiver duo (Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins) that could prove to be problematic for the Vikings’ secondary.
Week 4 vs. Pittsburgh in Dublin: Vikings win, 3-1. Aaron Rodgers couldn’t beat the Vikings as a member of the Jets last season in London, and although the Steelers are better than the Jets, the 41-year-old quarterback won’t beat Minnesota in Ireland.
Week 5 vs. Cleveland in London: Vikings win, 4-1. The Vikings will conclude their European vacation by beating a Browns team that likely will be led by Joe Flacco. That will mean the Vikings have defeated quarterbacks in back-to-back weeks who are a combined 81 years old.
Week 6 Bye. This bye feels a little early, but the Vikings will need the rest after playing three of their first five games on the road. Dublin and London are both six hours ahead of Minnesota.
Week 7 vs. Philadelphia: Vikings lose, 4-2. This opens an extremely difficult four-game stretch in which the Vikings will face the Eagles, Chargers, Lions and Ravens. It won’t start well with Jalen Hurts and the Super Bowl champions knocking off the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Week 8 at Los Angeles Chargers: Vikings win, 5-2. This could be easily flipped with the Vikings beating the Eagles and losing to the Chargers, but I have a feeling O’Connell and McCarthy will get the best of Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh and his quarterback Justin Herbert. This will be fascinating to watch, considering Harbaugh coached McCarthy at Michigan. It’s the Thursday night game, meaning a quick turnaround for both teams.
Week 9 at Detroit: Vikings lose, 5-3. O’Connell is 1-5 against Detroit coach Dan Campbell in his first three seasons, but the Lions lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching jobs. Standout center Frank Ragnow retired and guard Kevin Zeitler signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent. Nonetheless, the Lions have won back-to-back NFC North titles and O’Connell has struggled to beat them.