The Early Litmus Test on The Vikings Schedule
K. Joudry
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For the most part, the Vikings’ leadership group is expressing optimism about the upcoming season. Things seemed to go reasonably well at OTAs, and the mandatory mini camp has thus been shortened. It’s a good thing to have this hope, and yet we know that adversity will arrive. In fact, the Vikings will face a test very early in their schedule.
In the opening week of the season, Minnesota will take on Green Bay, the divisional champs for the past three seasons. The game takes place in Minnesota; the Vikings’ leadership will gladly take any edge they can get, so hopefully the home crowd creates a lot of noise.
The challenges the Packers present are obvious. Many will focus their attention on Aaron Rodgers, and for good reason. We can say – without exaggeration – that he’s one of the best to ever play. Even though he’s nearing 40, Rodgers is still one of the very best players in the NFL. He’ll still give his side an edge even though he’ll be lacking his top target in Davante Adams.
Perhaps even more daunting is their defense. Kenny Clark is one of the most underrated players in the NFL, and Jaire Alexander leads a talented secondary. I’m not sure if their EDGE pair will be as formidable as last season, though it’s not difficult to see how this side of the ball may create issues. Can the iOL effectively slow down Clark? Green Bay’s secondary will at least be able to challenge Minnesota’s talented group of pass catchers.
After Week 1, the Vikings have games against the Eagles, Lions, Saints, Bears, and Dolphins. There’s no such thing as a sure thing in the NFL. Nevertheless, the opening six weeks offer Minnesota a chance at some early success. Anything less than 4-2 would be a disappointment, and it’s plausible they could push the record even higher. The Packers are the only really impressive team of the six opponents, and that game occurs at home.
Obviously, beginning the year with one poor showing isn’t the end of the world. That being said, recent years have featured Minnesota failing to find early success. Doing better early, then, may be seen as an important step in overcoming the recent mediocrity. The Vikings schedule kicks things off with a challenging game that will give us a sense of just how far this team has come and how far they need to go.
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