The Five Most Difficult Games on The Vikings Schedule
K. Joudry
|
I don’t have a crystal ball (at least not one that works!), so at the end of the day I really can’t say with any certainty which games will be the most difficult. At best, these are some educated guesses based on my knowledge of our Vikings and their opponents. With that being said, here are (to my small football mind) the 5 most challenging games on the Minnesota Vikings’ schedule.
#5: Dallas Cowboys, Week 8, SNF
Look, I also think the Cowboys are overrated and that Mike McCarthy isn’t a very good coach. Even still, this will be a challenging game for our Vikings. Minnesota tends to struggle coming off the bye, and I’m not quite ready to say that Captain Kirk is fully cured of his Prime Time Woes. It’s a game that Minnesota can definitely win, but expect Prescott’s Cowboys to give us all we can handle. Their receivers are very, very good.
#4: at Baltimore Ravens, Week 9, Noon
Everyone should respect the Ravens. Minnesota tends to struggle with running QBs, and they just added Rashod Bateman in the opening round of the draft. Toss in the fact that Minnesota will be coming off a big Sunday Night Game against Dallas and the fact that they’re on the road and it’s easy to see how Week 9 will be difficult.
#3: at Green Bay Packers, Week 17, SNF
There’s a reason why the schedule people set this game up. Minnesota will head on the road to face their hated division rival at a time when the weather is getting really bad. Of course, if Aaron “Voldemort” Rodgers is no longer the one tossing passes, then this game doesn’t deserve to be on the list. Let’s collectively hope that GB somehow makes their QB situation even worse very, very soon.
#2: Seattle Seahawks, Week 3, 3:25 CT
Perhaps we should all just be thankful that we’re finally playing Seattle in Minnesota. For the past several years, the schedule makers have delighted in sending our Minnesota Vikings to the land of Frasier and expensive coffee. Seattle always functions as a sort of litmus test for me. They’re pretty much the team that Minnesota wants to be: consistently competitive with a defensive-first HC who prioritizes the run. If we can beat them in Week 3, then Minnesota fans should have some cautious optimism.
#1: at Chicago Bears, Week 15, MNF
Late in the season when things are likely really tight in the playoff race? Check. Prime Time game where all eyes are on Cousins? Check. The dreaded Bears who inexplicably always have our number? Check. To my mind, Week 15 is the biggest test on Minnesota’s schedule. They’re our kryptonite.
The Vikings begin their season against the Bengals, a team with plenty of connections to our Vikings. Let’s collectively hope we start things off 1-0.
This article originally appeared on one of our partner sites: VikingsGazette.com. Check out The Vikings Gazette and follow them on Twitter and on Facebook for more exclusive Minnesota Vikings content and analysis!