The NFL released its full 17-game schedule for all 32 teams last Thursday, and for the Minnesota Vikings, the league did them no favors.
Every offseason, fans of the Minnesota Vikings and the 31 other NFL teams from all around the world look forward to three things: free agency, the draft, and the release of their team's schedule.
You can make the argument that the NFL schedule release is the most anticipated event of the offseason. Fans plan vacations, take time off from work, book hotel rooms and find cheap flights, all based off of where their favorite team is playing that week.
For the Vikings, their 2023 schedule, for the most part, is set up very favorably. Minnesota will have plenty of national exposure this season with five primetime games compared to last season's two.
The league once again gifted the Vikings a home game to open up the season, which is never a bad thing for any NFL franchise. Not only that, but awarding them with a later bye (Week 13) this year compared to a Week 7 bye in the last three seasons could pay dividends for the team health-wise.
Not every team gets a perfect schedule unless you're the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and like every team, there are a few flaws with Minnesota's 2023 schedule. What are a few ways the NFL told Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and his team to "kick rocks" with the format of their 2023 schedule?