Top Five Storylines for Vikings’ 2024 Schedule
The Minnesota Vikings’ 2024 schedule is set, and now we know when and where they will play each of their opponents in 2024.
The team will kick off their season on the road against the New York Giants in Week One. The team will then return to the Twin Cities for a tough stretch of games against the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans.
There will be several interesting storylines to follow this season. The Vikings get to play against a few former players, a few quarterbacks who used to torment them, and some young stars. The NFC North also looks to be just as tough as it’s ever been in 2024.
Outside of the schedule, there are several notable storylines surrounding the roster itself. For example, who will be the starting QB? Will Aaron Jones look like vintage Aaron Jones? Will Justin Jefferson explode in a contract year? Those questions will all be answered, but today, let’s identify the most interesting storylines from the Vikings’ matchups.
Week 3: Reuniting with Old Friends on the Texans
The Houston Texans made a couple of splash moves this offseason involving former Vikings. First, the team added star edge rusher Danielle Hunter in free agency. The move was hailed by NFL analysts as one of the best moves of the offseason.
Then, the team made a trade for star receiver Stefon Diggs. Diggs starred for the Vikings from 2015-19 and was one of the best receivers in the league. It will be interesting to see how the Minnesota crowd reacts to the return of Hunter and Diggs.
Also, the Vikings added former Texan Jonathan Greenard in a bid to replace Hunter. Greenard will undoubtedly want to prove something to his former team in this game. Linebacker Blake Cashman is another former Texan who was a big-ticket addition for the Vikings this offseason.
Finally, this is a big game because the Texans are considered a bonafide contender in 2024 after C.J. Stroud’s impressive rookie season. Winning this game would not only be sweet because of the Hunter-Diggs-Greenard-Cashman situation, but also because it would mean beating one of the better teams in the league.
Weeks 4 and 17: Aaron Jones Meets His Former Team
This offseason, the Green Bay Packers made the surprising decision to move on from franchise legend Aaron Jones. In his place, the Packers made a slashy addition in Josh Jacobs.
However, the Packers’ loss was the Vikings’ gain. The Vikings quickly swooped in to lure the former Packer to the Twin Cities. Jones had a down year in 2023 after playing in just 11 games due to injury. However, the RB has picked up at least 1,000 rushing yards in three seasons and has caught at least 45 passes in four different seasons.
Jones will have both of these games circled on his calendar, especially the Week Four matchup in Green Bay. The veteran RB will want to prove he hasn’t lost a step and show the Packers they made a mistake. These games are also important because the NFC North will be tough, and the Vikings will need every division win they can get.
Week 5: Facing Off against Aaron Rodgers Again
In Week Five, the Vikings will travel to London to take on a familiar foe. Aaron Rodgers will be back at the helm for the New York Jets after missing the 2023 season due to an Achilles injury.
The Vikings have faced off against Aaron Rodgers 29 times, and the QB has a 17-11-1 record against the team. Some of Rodgers’ best games have come against the Vikings, and there is no love lost between the QB and the team. Beating the Jets would not only be another crucial win, but it would be nice payback against a man who tormented the team for years.
This could also be seen as a revenge game for Sam Darnold. Of course, there’s no guarantee that Darnold will be the starter by then, but if he is, he could cook up something special for his former team.
Weeks 7 and 18: Can the Vikings Hang with the Lions?
The Detroit Lions were a better team than the Vikings in 2023. The team won both matchups against the Vikings, and would go on to make the NFC Championship Game. Will the Lions get the better of the Vikings again in 2024?
The first meeting between the rivals will take place in Week 7 in Minnesota. The second meeting will be the final game of the regular season and could have serious playoff implications. The Vikings will surely want revenge for being swept in 2023, and improving their own seeding or spoiling Detroit’s hopes could be the best scenario.
The Lions are expected to be one of the best teams in the league in 2023 and will provide a good litmus test for the Vikings. Have the Vikings fallen behind the top of the NFC North or can they still hang with everybody? These games will tell us.
Week 14: Reuniting with Captain Kirk in Atlanta
This will be a game that nobody will want to miss. Seeing Kirk Cousins in a different uniform will be strange for Vikings’ fans, but it will be must-watch TV. Kirk Cousins spent six seasons in the Twin Cities and provided Vikings’ fans with some of the best QB play they’ve seen. Now, the fans that rooted for him all of those year will be rooting against him.
Any NFC game late in the season is important, but this one is a little more so. Losing to a Kirk Cousins-led Falcons team would put a bad taste in the mouths of the entire fanbase and organization. Beating their former QB on the back of either J.J. McCarthy or Sam Darnold would surely make the Vikings’ front office feel vindicated.
It will be interesting to see the Vikings’ crowd reacts to Cousins. The QB did so much for the team, but he is still a conference opponent at the end of the day. Cousins himself admitted he is expecting to feel “mixed emotions.”
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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