Way-Too-Early Season Predictions
Corey Burke
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Note: This article is an expanded part of a round-table on our sister-site, VikingsTerritory.com. Click HERE to read that article and all of the 2020 record predictions from the purpleTERRITORY Media writers.
Week 1: vs GB Packers
I can see this one going either way, but the ‘rona really hurts the Vikings here. It’s the first game of the season so it’s more likely than not played without fans present. However, the toll on the offseason program will have even greater impact. While refreshing the secondary with the notable rookie additions of Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler will likely pay great dividends in the long run, the sudden lack of experience at cornerback will be ever more glaring given the presumptive coronavirus limitations of offseason training. Expect this inexperience at corner to be highlighted often by Aaron Rodgers. (0-1)
Week 2: @ IND Colts
Philip Rivers comes over from L.A. to take the starting job in Indy, but learning a new offense during the Corona limited offseason will make this more of a rocky transition. Rivers has historically struggled versus Vikings defenses, posting a 1-3 record and a 4:7 TD:INT ratio. I like the Vikings in this one on the road. (1-1)
Week 3: vs TEN Titans
It will be interesting to see if Tannehill continues his career resurgence or if his 2019 was a Keenum-like mirage. These are way-too-early predictions, so give me Cousins’ relative consistency over Tannehill’s if I’m betting at this point. (2-1)
Week 4: @ HOU Texans
Thank you B.O.B. for sparing us watching the massacre of Deandre Hopkins against our young secondary. That said, Zimmer defenses have generally struggled more vs mobile quarterbacks than pure pocket passers. This certainly has the potential to be a shootout, and the loss of Stefon Diggs will limit the Vikings’ explosiveness early on. Being on the road doesn’t help. (2-2)
Week 5: @ SEA Seahawks
The Vikings are 2-8 all time playing the Seahawks in Seattle and haven’t won there since 2006. Russell Wilson has never lost a regular-season game to the Vikings. Maybe that changes this year, but if we’re picking W’s and L’s, smart money is on an L here. (2-3)
Week 6: vs ATL Falcons
Julio Jones concerns me, but Mike Zimmer has done an excellent job game planning for him in the past. Expect the Vikings offense to get rolling here at home vs a suspect Atlanta defense. (3-3)
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: @ GB Packers
By this time the young Vikings secondary has some games under their belts, are meshing more as a unit, and have a Bye week to prepare for a second go at the Packers. The Packers defense will likely hone in on stopping Dalvin Cook, daring Cousins to win through the air. If he can meet that challenge, the Vikings get a win. (4-3)
Week 9: vs DET Lions
This is about the point in the year where I expect calls to fire Lions Head Coach Matt Patricia to start heating up. While Matt Stafford may have some comeback magic left in him, I don’t see the Vikings letting this one slip away. (5-3)
Week 10: @ CHI Bears
Regardless of year, anybody who has a way-to-early projection of a Vikings win in Chicago is lying to you. Soldier Field is cursed. (5-4)
Week 11: vs DAL Cowboys
This is the game that likely decides what direction the Vikings season goes – playoff-bound or pretenders? These Vikings Cowboys matchups have been close recently, and we’ll see a familiar face across the field in Mike McCarthy. These teams are otherwise fairly similar to those that saw a 28-24 Vikings win in Dallas last year. Too early – but chances are the Vikings fare even better at home this year. (6-4)
Week 12: vs CAR Panthers
While I expect the Panthers to perform better than most others do this season, I don’t see them being serious contenders. Bridgewater may surprise some at QB and McCaffery is ever explosive, but their defense simply cannot be reliably counted on. This may be the mostly likely W on the schedule to this point. (7-4)
Week 13: vs JAC Jaguars
This might be one of the worst teams in the league. Minshew may very well be the answer at QB for them, but he alone will not drag the rest of that team to success. This is the softest part of the Vikings schedule, with back to back home games vs subpar teams. (8-4)
Week 14: @ TOMpa Brady GRONKaneers
Brady has never lost a game to the Vikings, but the Vikings have an excellent shot here. The key to this game will be getting pressure in Brady’s face, and Zimmer has a reputation as one of the best coaches in the league when it comes to generating a pass rush. The Vikings offense should be firing on all cylinders at this point in the season, and I don’t expect a Brady-in-decline to be able to keep up when faced with the Vikes front seven. (9-4)
Week 15: vs CHI Bears
While Foles may be a slight upgrade over Trubs in Chicago, the Vikings backups nearly stole this game from the Chicago starters in 2019. Any given Sunday, but with this game being at home and the Vikings simply having the more talented roster, I favor their chances. (10-4)
Week 16: @ NO Saints
Christmas Day – this is a pseudo primetime game the whole nation will be watching. Zimmer has been fantastic when game planning to stop Drew Brees in the past. Expect this one to go down to the wire (again), but I predict a loss because it seems the Vikes can’t have good things when it counts. (10-5)
Week 17: @ DET Lions
The Saints matchup falls on a Friday, so the Vikings get an extra two days of rest before finishing the season in Detroit. Will Patricia even be the Lions coach at this point? Vikings roll into the playoffs winning six of their last seven. (11-5)