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.