Ranking the 11 games left on the Vikings 2022 schedule
By Randy Smith
No. 5
at Green Bay Packers (Week 17)
The Packers, for the foreseeable future, will always be a threat with No. 12 at the helm. While the Vikings beat Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay in Week 1, they’ll face the team again at Lambeau Field in Week 17.
Considering some of the embarrassing losses the team has been the victim of, a fifth-place ranking may be considered too high by many. To that, Rodgers could present his 9-3-1 record against Minnesota at home. While he may not be the “bad” man those are accustomed to, he does know how to get the job done.
It’s a different team than years past, as the Packers are currently experiencing a three-game losing streak, the first under head coach Matt LaFleur.
However, Green Bay on a frozen tundra has always been a must-see matchup against the Vikings. Their Week 17 matchup could very well be for the division, and regardless won’t be a walk in the park like some would think.
No. 4
Dallas Cowboys (Week 11)
The Cowboys have been able to continue to be a threat to take the NFC East and they remain competitive throughout the whole league. After Dak Prescott went down with an injury, the club rallied behind backup quarterback Cooper Rush.
Time has passed and a three-interception game to Rush’s name was played, and Dallas now looks to be back on track with Prescott, who threw for a touchdown in his first game back.
But it doesn’t take Prescott for Dallas to beat the Vikings, as they did with Rush last year 20-16. So with the former of the two back, and head coach Mike McCarthy with plenty of victories against Minnesota before, this year could be another if the Vikings don’t prepare accordingly.
No. 3
New York Giants (Week 16)
At some point, a record does speak for itself. The Giants should be used to being criticized and picked apart as they have in the past, and their 6-1 record has been dissected as a facade by some, but the Vikings shouldn’t take them lightly.
While Daniel Jones isn’t the second coming of Eli Manning, he’s been doing more than enough to get the team by and has played some of his most consistent football to date. Added on with a defense that has stopped Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson, New York has become a threat.
The Vikings won’t face the Giants until Week 16, so each team’s single loss record may go completely different ways. But if the trajectory remains close to what it has been, this could be a more difficult game than it first appeared to be when the schedule was made.
No. 2
Arizona Cardinals (Week 8)
The Cardinals may not be the third-best team the Vikings will face this year, but time changes everything. They experienced a sluggish start, ugly losses, and a less-than-stellar offensive showing. But they now have De’Andre Hopkins back.
In his first game returning from suspension, Hopkins had 10 grabs for 103 yards. The Cardinals beat the New Orleans Saints 42-34, their highest-scoring game since January of 2017. They’ll look to continue this momentum against Minnesota at U.S. Bank stadium.
For the Vikings, they’ll face a dual-threat quarterback in Kyler Murray, and Hopkins in his second game back as Minnesota comes out of their bye week. The team can’t afford to coast out of their bye, nor will a dormant start do any justice.
It’s not a do-or-die matchup, but it’ll be pretty important.