The Minnesota Vikings will open the 2022 season against the Green Bay Packers, but can they open the Kevin O’Connell era with a win?
If the Minnesota Vikings wanted to choose their first opponent, there are few better than the Green Bay Packers.
Sure, it’s unnerving to go into a game hosting the team that has won the NFC North in each of the past three seasons. It’s even more concerning to go into that game with a new offensive system on both sides of the ball. A rookie head coach could make Vikings fans nervous and having that game be this first career game is enough to make someone puke.
But if there’s a measuring stick the 2022 Vikings need to clear, it’s the Packers.
The Vikings haven’t beaten the Packers since a Week 7 meeting in 2020. It’s been even longer since they’ve been over .500. They fired Mike Zimmer, but kept the same roster intact with hopes that Kevin O’Connell could get them over the hump. There have been positive signs this preseason, but we just won’t know until this team plays games that count.
This is a game that fits that description. If the Vikings can beat their NFC North bully, they can be in the driver’s seat and hold a tiebreaker until the two teams meet in Week 17. If they lose, they risk chasing the Packers for the duration of the season.
In this article, we’ll make five bold predictions for Sunday’s game and see if the Vikings can win their first season opener since 2019.