A Look at the 2024 Vikings’ Opponents
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings wrapped up their 2023 regular season schedule last week with a loss to the Detroit Lions.
While this season has just wrapped up, we already know the 2024 Vikings’ opponents. We knew going into Week 18 that Minnesota would play their usual NFC North schedule, and in addition, they would take on the NFC West and AFC South teams.
However, there were still three opponents that were up in the air going into Sunday’s slate of games. With the results of this weekend, those opponents have been settled.
A Look at the 2024 Vikings’ Opponents
Because both Minnesota and Chicago lost on Sunday, the Vikings will play a third-place schedule in 2024 as opposed to their first-place schedule in 2023. Here is the full list of Vikings opponents:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Chicago Bears (twice)
- Detroit Lions (twice)
- Green Bay Packers (twice)
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Los Angeles Rams
- New York Giants
- New York Jets
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tennessee Titans
The three opponents that were in question going into Sunday were the AFC East, NFC South, and NFC East teams that Minnesota would go up against. Had Chicago won on Sunday and Minnesota lost, the Vikings would have played the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, and Washington Commanders (the three teams whose records created the first three picks in the NFL Draft order).
Alas, a fourth-place schedule was not meant to be for the Vikings, and they will instead play against the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, and New York Jets.
On the surface, it appears that this will be a slightly easier schedule than the one they just went through in 2023, and that is especially the case if they find a way to bring Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter back.
Eight games that the Vikings played in 2023 were against teams that eventually made the playoffs this season. Next year, they will play seven games against current playoff teams. Their opponents’ combined win-loss record in 2023 resulted in a winning percentage of .509 while the 2024 group held a combined winning percentage of .502 this season.
Most importantly, though, the 2024 Vikings will play nine home games and only eight road games. It was the opposite in 2023 with eight home games compared to nine road games. Four of their seven games against current playoff teams will also happen inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Minnesota’s nine home games this year are against Arizona, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Houston, Indianapolis, NY Jets, and San Francisco.
Meanwhile, their eight road games are against Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Jacksonville, LA Rams, NY Giants, Seattle, and Tennessee.
We won’t officially know the order of this schedule until the official release in May, but for now, this is what Vikings fans can expect to see in 2024.
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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.