Minnesota Vikings official 2017 regular season schedule released

Aug 12, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer looks on from the sidelines in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals in a preseason NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. The Vikings won 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

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Dec 18, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer looks on during the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Colts defeated the Vikings 34-6. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

Week 9: Bye week

This seems like a perfect place for the Vikings to have their bye week. Right in the middle of the season.

The past two years, Minnesota has had their bye week come relatively early in the season (Week 6 in 2016, Week 5 in 2015). A later bye week may have come in handy for the roster to get some extra healing time at a more vital part of the year, especially in 2016 with all of the injuries the Vikings suffered.

Their bye week for 2017 also gives Minnesota’s coaching staff the ability to accurately assess how well their roster has played so far during the season. This could lead to smarter decisions being made to give the Vikings the best chance at a potential slot in the playoffs.

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