NFL Thinks 1 Vikings Game Should Be Circled
The Minnesota Vikings have one of the toughest schedules in the upcoming season, primarily because they face the NFC West and the AFC North in 2025, two of the stronger divisions. Of course, also on the schedule is the NFC North, with a pair of meetings against each team of the best division in 2024, at least in the regular season.
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Many Vikings fans have circled the matchups against the Lions and Packers. Detroit hasn’t been defeated by Kevin O’Connell’s operation since the 2022 season, and the head coach is 1-5, losing five straight. That division rivalry hadn’t really been one for quite some time, but that rivalry is real now.
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra gathered a list of the top ten games for the upcoming season, and neither game between the Vikings and the division rivals has made it. However, a match against last year’s Pro Bowl passer, Sam Darnold, made it onto that list, ranking ninth.
Patra wrote about the reunion: “This will be in plenty of ‘revenge game’ columns this offseason, which adds to the anticipation as Sam Darnold takes on his former team in Seattle.”
Darnold revived his career with the Vikings, surely looking like a career backup entering the season, he exited it with a Pro Bowl nod and 35 passing touchdowns more on his resume. In the offseason, the Seahawks signed him to a three-year contract after trading Geno Smith to Las Vegas.
The Vikings, meanwhile, are in the process of handing the keys to the loaded offense to quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who they drafted with the tenth overall pick a year ago, intending to make him their long-term signal-caller.
“On their own, both of these clubs bring intriguing questions to the 2025 campaign,” Patra added. “Can J.J. McCarthy seamlessly take over a well-oiled Kevin O’Connell offense and keep it running smoothly?”
It surely is the million-dollar question. An NFL team lives and dies by the play of its quarterback, even those that are stacked enough to overcome some flaws can’t overcome them all.
The Vikings have made sure to build a potentially explosive offense for McCarthy, but if he fails to operate it at a solid level, it won’t be explosive whatsoever. He will have the luxury of throwing the ball to Justin Jefferson, which always helps.
In addition to that, if not suspended, Jordan Addison will flank him. T.J. Hockenson is a security blanket in the middle of the field, and the running back duo was strengthened this offseason in addition to rebuilding an offensive line that looks like a sure-fire top unit in the league. On the defensive side, an elite unit basically swapped Cam Bynum for Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, and the cornerback group is less proven but younger and probably faster.
Let’s check Seattle’s questions: “Was O’Connell’s scheme the reason for Darnold’s success, or has he finally turned the corner from his ghost-seeing days? Will the Seahawks’ revamped offense under Klint Kubiak shine or take time to jell? What role will Jalen Milroe play? Two clubs that have high-variance outcomes make for an intriguing matchup.”
Indeed, that is the main question in the Darnold universe. He was fantastic for the most part last season, but in the final two contests, Week 18’s high-stakes divisional game against the Lions and the playoff defeat against the Rams, he returned to his old self, looking like the lights were too bright for him.
O’Connell’s guidance has proven to help quarterbacks reach higher levels, but Darnold can prove that theory wrong by playing well in 2025. Jalen Milroe is by no means ready to challenge Darnold for the top spot, but he could play in some packages because of his athleticism.
Last season, the Vikings also faced their former quarterback, and they spanked Kirk Cousins and his Falcons in his return to U.S. Bank Stadium.
The game against Seattle will be on the road, and the quarterback storyline is undeniable. Darnold wants to prove the Vikings made a mistake by not keeping him, and McCarthy wants to beat the guy he was chosen over.
Minnesota will travel to Seattle at some point in 2025, trying to repeat last year’s triumph on the West Coast. A primetime kickoff can’t be ruled out.
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