The Minnesota Vikings 2016 schedule has been released and we have a week-by-week preview of the whole upcoming season.
The schedule has been released and now the Vikings and their fans know exactly who the team will be playing and where and when.
Is it a tough schedule? An easy schedule? That’s pretty much impossible to say this far out. Last year a lot of teams might have looked at the Vikings as an easy opponent only to be very unpleasantly surprised. Some of the Vikings’ opponents in 2016 will be considered doormats until the actual games arrive. And then Viking fans might be the ones experiencing a very unpleasant realization.
Remember the 2015 season opener against San Francisco?
The NFL is intriguing precisely because you never know from one year to the next what will happen. Minnesota is coming off a playoff season, but that doesn’t guarantee that they will be back in contention again this year.
It’s all about consistency. The Vikings are trying to put together a team that can be in contention year after year. They did it last year, but that doesn’t really prove anything. If they do it again this year, then we’ll know that they are on the right track.
Even though we don’t really know what will happen, let’s look ahead to the Vikings’ sixteen regular season games in 2016.
Week 1 at Tennessee Titans (Sunday Sept. 11, 12 PM CT, Fox)
The Vikings kick off the 2016 regular season with a trip to Tennessee to visit the Titans. The Vikings certainly will want to get off to a better start than they did in 2015, when they went to San Francisco and got their butts whupped.
The Titans struggled last year as their 3-13 record showed, but again as we learned last year with San Francisco, it’s not a good idea to under-estimate a supposedly “bad” opponent. There’s every reason to believe that Tennessee will be an improved team in 2016, with Marcus Mariota going into his second season.
Tennessee and head coach Mike Mularkey will definitely be amped up and looking to send a message by knocking off a playoff team in their season opener in front of their home fans. Knowing Mike Zimmer, I’m sure the Vikings will be more mentally prepared for this game than they were for their horrible 2015 opener against the 49ers.
Yes I keep bringing up that San Francisco game. That was a tough pill to swallow and even all these months later, it’s difficult to understand how the Vikes managed to come out and lay such a huge egg against a team they should have been able to handle. The Vikes will be favored against Tennessee but I’m sure they will downplay that big-time.
Week 2 vs Green Bay Packers (Sunday Sept. 18, 7:30 PM CT, NBC)
The Vikings will open U.S. Bank Stadium with a primetime showdown against their arch-rivals the Green Bay Packers. The NFL schedule makers got it right with this one.
Last year the Vikings and Packers split their two games, with the Vikings losing at home to Green Bay 30-13 then going to Lambeau the last week of the season and stunning the Packers 20-13 to win the NFC North.
Do I even need to mention how huge it will be for the Vikings to get the division race off to a good start by taking out the Packers at home? And it’s the first game in the new stadium. You definitely don’t want to open up your new place with a loss to your most hated divisional foe. Packers fans will be totally insufferable if they somehow beat the Vikings in the first game ever at U.S. Bank.
Despite how things played out last year, the Packers will no doubt be favored to win the North in 2016. And that will be just fine with Mike Zimmer and company. Zim knows how to play the underdog card as well as anyone. This will be cast as an early season prove-it game for Minnesota.
Week 3 at Carolina Panthers (Sunday Sept. 25, 12 PM CT, Fox)
The Vikes follow up their home opener by going on the road to face Cam Newton and the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers. Pretty huge early season conference game, I think it’s safe to say. A week 3 win over Carolina would go a long way toward solidifying the Vikings’ status as big-time contenders.
In 2014, the Vikes whupped the Panthers 31-13 despite being outgained 348 yards to 210. Teddy Bridgewater outplaying Cam Newton was a big reason why Minnesota was able to win that game handily despite being soundly thrashed on the stat sheet.
Two years on, Newton has a Super Bowl appearance under his belt while Bridgewater is at somewhat of a career crossroads. It will be pretty fascinating to see Teddy and Cam match up again, with Cam coming off his huge season and Teddy coming off a year where his critics only became louder.
This will be a good measuring-stick game for the Vikings in more ways than one.
Week 4 vs New York Giants (Monday Oct. 3, 7:30 PM CT, ESPN)
Last year the Vikings absolutely crushed the New York Giants 49-17. The Giants will be out for revenge when they visit U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time in week 4.
Eli Manning was absolutely awful when the two teams played last year and frankly has been awful most of the times the Vikings have faced him. Eli will be looking to add to his staggering total of 14 career interceptions against the Vikes, three of those coming in last year’s game.
The Giants will be an interesting team this year after all the changes they made in the offseason, including firing long-time coach Tom Coughlin and spending approximately a bazillion dollars in free agency. And it will be fun to see Odell Beckham Jr. on the field, since we didn’t get to see him last year after he acted like a complete idiot against Carolina and got himself suspended.
This is one of those games that’s almost impossible to predict from such a long distance. The Giants figure to be a very different team in 2016 than they were last year, and who knows if they will be better or worse.
Week 5 vs Houston Texans (Sunday Oct. 9, 12 PM CT, CBS)
J.J. Watt and the Texans pay a visit to U.S. Bank Stadium, which by week 5 should have a catchy nickname (hopefully not “The Bank” because that is predictable and lame).
The Texans managed to make the playoffs last year at 9-7 but let’s face it, that only happened because Andrew Luck was hurt for Indianapolis and the Colts had a down year. Will the Texans be legitimate contenders this year or will they be mediocre once again?
If Houston is going to improve and actually make a legit run at the Super Bowl, it will all have to start with new quarterback Brock Osweiler. Houston gave Osweiler an insane amount of money and are counting on him to take them to the next level.
Come on Brock Osweiler, J.J. Watt is counting on you. Watt is one of the great players in NFL history and he’s in danger of never even getting close to a Super Bowl because he’s stuck on the Texans. Is there any way the Vikings could somehow get their hands on Watt? Let’s keep him away from the Packers, at any rate.
Week 7 at Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday October 23, 12 PM CT, Fox)
The Eagles are in transition mode after canning Chip Kelly and hiring Doug Pedersen to be their new coach. Incidentally, former Eagles interim head coach Pat Shurmur is now a member of the Vikings’ staff officially as tight ends coach and unofficially as the guy whose job it is to bring Norv Turner’s offense into the 21st Century.
This is one of those games that on paper looks like a win but again, this is the NFL, so anything can happen. Maybe Doug Pedersen turns the Eagles around really fast and gets them on a winning track. Or maybe Philly is just as bad this year as they were last year under Chip Kelly.
The big question is, who will be the quarterback for Philly by the time week 7 rolls around? Will Sam Bradford still be in there or will he be hurt? The Eagles could be down to McLeod Bethel-Thompson by week 7. Yes, in case you were wondering, MBT is now on the Eagles. In all honesty, he might be a better option at QB than Bradford. We know MBT can sling it in preseason. Maybe Philly is the team that finally gives him a chance to shine.
Or not.
Week 8 at Chicago Bears (Monday October 31, 7:30 PM CT, ESPN)
The Vikings’ second Monday night game of the season is a showdown against their division rivals the Bears. Last year the Vikings won both contests against Chicago, squeezing out a 23-20 come-from-behind win on the road and then later crushing Chicago at home by a final score of 38-17.
The Vikings’ win at Chicago last year was one of their signature victories of the season. People thought the Vikes couldn’t win a game at Soldier Field? Well they proved the doubters wrong and in dramatic fashion.
The Vikes’ first game against Chicago will be intriguing for a number of reasons. The Bears finished 6-10 last year while weirdly winning only one home game. Will Chicago be an improved team in 2015 or will they once again be the doormats of the division?
If the Bears haven’t improved over last year, the Vikings could be looking at another win at Soldier Field. Dominating the Lions and Bears was key to the Vikings’ surge to the playoffs last year and it would be nice to once again get four wins against those two teams. Realistically though, can you expect the Vikes to run the table against Detroit and Chicago for a second straight year? Probably not.
Week 9 vs Detroit Lions (Sunday Nov. 6, 12 PM CT, Fox)
The Vikings last year were dominant against Detroit, beating them 26-16 at home and then shredding them 28-19 at Ford Field. The way Minnesota abused Detroit’s offensive line and beat up QB Matthew Stafford was almost enough to make you feel sorry for the Lions. Almost.
Obviously, the Lions are in a huge transitional year after firing pretty much everyone except head coach Jim Caldwell and losing Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson. But don’t worry Lions fans, you replaced Calvin Johnson with former Bengals receiver Marvin Jones. No sweat!
The Vikings clearly won’t miss Calvin Johnson. But let’s be honest, even with Johnson on the field last year, the Vikings had little problem handling Detroit. Nothing the Lions have done this offseason convinces me that they will be a greater challenge for Minnesota in 2016.
Sorry Lions fans but I think you are going to have a long year. It wouldn’t shock me if Detroit ended up 4-12.
Week 10 at Washington Redskins (Sunday Nov. 13, 12 PM CT, Fox)
RG3 has moved on from Washington after a disappointing tenure there. The single highlight of Griffin’s time in Washington will always be his huge game-salting 76-yard TD run against the Vikings in 2012. The Vikings that day simply did not know what to do against the Redskins and their zone-read offense. Leslie Frazier pretty much had no clue how to adjust and the Vikes got their heads beaten in.
The Vikings got revenge against RG3 and the Redskins in 2014 when Teddy Bridgewater led Minnesota on a come-from-behind win that helped establish Teddy’s reputation as a cold-blooded fourth quarter performer.
This year’s meeting against the Redskins will be a battle of 2015 playoff teams who are looking to take the next step. This game could end up having huge implications for both clubs.
Week 11 vs Arizona Cardinals (Sunday Nov. 20, 12 PM CT, Fox)
The Vikings play the Cardinals for the second straight year. Last year, Minnesota gave a strong effort in Arizona but came up a little bit short, losing 23-20. As you recall, Viking fans were consumed with all sorts of doom and gloom going into that game but came out of it feeling good when the Vikes put up a better fight than folks expected.
This year at home it won’t be enough for the Vikings to come close. They need to man up and put a whupping on one of these tough NFC West opponents. In recent years the Vikings have had a relatively easy time with the Rams but have been stymied by Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona.
I don’t like to talk about curses but the Vikings’ performance against the NFC West almost makes you believe in that stuff. How about this year the Vikings beat up on Arizona and make fans stop talking about how great Larry Fitzgerald is?
Week 12 at Detroit Lions (Thursday Nov. 24, 11:30 AM CT, CBS)
For the first time since 2000, fans will get a little Vikings football with their turkey and stuffing. The Vikes beat the Cowboys on Thanksgiving in 2000 and before that memorably defeated Dallas on Turkey Day 1998 with rookie phenom Randy Moss going nuts. The Vikes haven’t played Detroit on Thanksgiving since 1995 when the Lions won 44-38.
This part of the schedule gets interesting for the Vikings. They play against Detroit on Thanksgiving just four days after facing the Cardinals at home. The Vikes then have a normal week of prep before facing the Cowboys on Thursday night in week 13. Then they have a little extra rest time before suiting up against Jacksonville for a regular old Sunday afternoon game.
How will these scheduling quirks affect the Vikings as they try to put together another playoff run? Mike Zimmer won’t allow his team to use the schedule as an excuse, that’s for sure. That being said, I’m sure Zim would prefer to have as many regular old Sunday afternoon games as possible.
Week 13 vs Dallas Cowboys (Thursday Dec. 1, 7:25 PM CT, NBC/NFL Network)
The Vikings might be in Color Rush jerseys for their Thursday night game against the Cowboys. Color Rush jerseys got mixed reviews last year with some people liking them and a lot of people thinking they looked horrible. Color blind people apparently had an especially bad time with the special jerseys and their highlighter-pen hues.
No matter the jerseys, it’s always a big deal when the Vikings and Cowboys square off. These two teams have a ton of history against each other, both on the field and off. The Vikings by-and-large have come up on the short end of the stick against the Cowboys, both in games and in trades, but they have had their victories against Dallas as well.
By the time week 13 rolls around we should know whether the Vikings are genuine contenders or not. If they are in contention, this late-season game vs. Dallas will bring back lots of memories of all Minnesota’s other huge games against the Cowboys over the years.
Hopefully the Color Rush jerseys, if the two teams are in fact forced to wear them for this game, will not take away too much from our enjoyment of the contest. Call me old-fashioned but I prefer my Vikings vs. Cowboys with the old-school unis.
Week 14 at Jacksonville Jaguars (Sunday Dec. 11, 12 PM CT, Fox)
Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater were both taken in the first round of the 2014 draft and this year’s game marks the first time they will square off. Which QB has had the better career so far? Bortles thus far has put up bigger stats than Bridgewater but Bridgewater has been to the playoffs while Bortles has not.
Normally you would rack this one up as a win for the Vikings but I’m not so sure about that this time around. Jacksonville has found themselves a legit QB in Bortles and is beginning to put together a team around him. It wouldn’t shock me if the Jags become playoff contenders this year, and if they do get to that level, this could be a very tough and very big game for the Vikings.
This game could very well come down to Bortles vs. Bridgewater. How do the Vikings come out in that case? That’s impossible to say right now. Hopefully by week 14 Teddy will have calmed our fears about his ability to develop and become a reliable quarterback who does more than just take care of the ball. But if I’m being honest, I can’t say I know what will happen. I want to believe that Bridgewater can take the next step but I’m not convinced. A lot of it comes down to whether the Vikes can get their offensive line straightened out.
Week 15 vs Indianapolis Colts (Sunday Dec. 18, 12 PM CT, CBS)
The Colts had a down season in 2015 but they will likely bounce back this year and become major contenders again. The Vikings are lucky they get to host the Colts in week 15 rather than having to travel to Indianapolis.
This could actually be a very tough stretch of the schedule for Minnesota. The Jaguars could be an improved team, making that trip to Jacksonville a problem. Then having to turn around and play a contending Indianapolis team at home followed by a trip to Green Bay?
Closing strong will be vital for Minnesota if they want to make the playoffs again. You can look at their late-season schedule and see a lot of wins if you want, but don’t assume the Jaguars will be pushovers and certainly don’t assume that the Colts will be an easy opponent just because they were down in 2015.
The Vikings’ trip through December could prove to be very tough. Hopefully they will have racked up enough wins early in the season that they won’t need to run the table the last month in order to make the playoffs.
Week 16 at Green Bay Packers (Saturday Dec. 24, 12 PM CT, Fox)
The Vikes and Packers have their second meeting of the season scheduled on Christmas Eve. I personally don’t care for egg nog but if you’re one of those people who insists on drinking it, you can have some egg nog and watch the Packers and Vikings. Or you can drink something good and watch the Packers and Vikings. I suggest beer.
This could end up being a battle for the NFC North championship once again. And once again the game will be at Lambeau Field. The Vikings proved last year that they have no fear whatsoever about going into Lambeau late in the season and taking on the Packers.
So who do you predict will come out on top in the NFC North? I feel like the division race will once again come down to Green Bay and Minnesota. Chicago might surprise a few people and sneak into that 9-7 area but I don’t think they will ultimately be a factor in the division. Detroit I think could fall completely apart.
And which team between Green Bay and Minnesota has the best chance of making the Super Bowl? It’s hard to pick against the team with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. I know Vikings fans don’t want to hear it but until Teddy Bridgewater shows more consistency, it’s hard to pick Minnesota as a legit Super Bowl team. Even if their defense takes another big step this year, they will still need Teddy to get better.
Week 17 vs Chicago Bears (Sunday Jan. 1, 12 PM CT, Fox)
The Vikes play on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. Make sure you curb your New Year’s Eve drinking or you will be too hungover to enjoy the season-ending game between the Vikings and Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium.
You definitely don’t want to miss this game. It could have huge playoff implications! What if the Vikings need this game to clinch a Wild Card berth? What if the Bears are still in it at this point?
Thinking this far ahead actually feels bizarre. There are so many unknowns even today, and there will be even more unknowns added to those unknowns between now and next January. By the time we get to the end of the season, everything will be different than what we expected at the start. Some players will be better than we expected, some will be not as good.
When you boil it down for the Vikings, they have to answer a few key questions: Can they get their O-line fixed, can they find another receiving weapon, can Teddy Bridgewater develop and can their defense take the next step from really good to great? If they get positive results in all those areas, they’ll be in the playoffs and might make a serious run at the title. But nothing is for certain.