The Toughest Stretch of the 2023 Vikings Schedule Comes Early On
Josh Frey
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In 2022, the Vikings got a bit of a chance to ease into their schedule. Sure, they had a Week 2 matchup against the eventual NFC-champion Philadelphia Eagles, but outside of that, they didn’t face too many overbearing challenges. They opened the year with three home games over the first six weeks before their bye, and other than the game in Philadelphia, they were the ‘road’ team in London against the New Orleans Saints and traveled to Miami to take on the Skylar Thompson-led Dolphins.
The Vikings then went on to face their toughest stretch later in the year with a five-week span that saw Minnesota face off against the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, New York Jets, and Detroit Lions.
This week, we finally got our first glimpse at the official 2023 Vikings schedule. This time around, though, it seems like the Vikings will get their toughest games out of the way early on. Take a look at this collection of games from Weeks 2-8:
- Week 2 @ Philadelphia Eagles (TNF)
- Week 3 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
- Week 4 @ Carolina Panthers
- Week 5 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
- Week 6 @ Chicago Bears
- Week 7 vs. San Francisco 49ers
- Week 8 @ Green Bay Packers
Four of the seven teams in this span made the playoffs in 2022 (Eagles, Chargers, Chiefs, 49ers), and it also features each of the Super Bowl LVII teams from this February.
The 49ers have a bit of uncertainty surrounding their quarterback room, but they should still have a very fearsome defense along with playmakers on offense at the disposal of head coaching mastermind Kyle Shanahan. Outside of that, these four playoff teams all look very similar to how they did in 2022 and should be in contention once again.
On top of those four playoff teams, Minnesota has a pair of divisional road games thrown in as well, with trips to both Chicago and Green Bay sandwiching that Week 7 game against the 49ers. The Vikings have now won games at Soldier Field in three consecutive years, but the games that carried any meaning to them (2020 and 2021) were decided by just one possession.
Prior to that, Chicago had won three of their previous four home games against the Vikings. And even with Aaron Rodgers no longer in Green Bay, a trip to Lambeau Field will never be an easy one.
Finally, the Carolina Panthers could prove to be a test as well. After finishing the 2022 season with a 7-10 record, they were one of the league’s big spenders in free agency, adding former Vikings receiver Adam Thielen along with DJ Chark, Hayden Hurst, and Miles Sanders to solidify their skill positions on offense. They then drafted their QB of the future in Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick.
Carolina may still be a year or two away from being true contenders in the NFC, and the Vikings should certainly win this game if they want be considered one of those NFC contenders, but it could be a sneaky tough one in the middle of their difficult stretch.
Luckily, though, after this tough stretch of games things ease up a bit in the middle of the Vikings schedule. From Weeks 9-14, Minnesota won’t play a single playoff team from a season ago, and they finally get to rest up on their bye in Week 13.
Regardless, unlike last year when we flip-flopped at times deciding on whether or not to take the Vikings seriously, we should be able to tell right away in 2023 how legitimate this team is.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.