Strength of schedule: .557 (T-5th)Prime-time games: 4
There’s an interesting debate about the Vikings’ international double dip and whether they are receiving some kind of an edge. Minnesota will have seven domestic road games and two overseas games, while the other three NFC North teams must play nine road games in the home cities of their opponents.
That might be a fair point, even if two weeks abroad can throw off the rhythm and cadence of a season. Regardless, the Vikings aren’t facing a cupcake schedule.
They open with back-to-back prime-time games: at Chicago on Monday Night Football in Week 1 and vs. Atlanta on Sunday Night Football in Week 2. That’s followed by a home game against the Bengals, the Ireland-England duo against the Steelers and Browns, then a fairly early bye (Week 6). For a team that crashed down the stretch in 2024, fatigue — or burning too hot, too early — once more could be a concern.
The post-bye stretch is no pleasure cruise. The Vikings host the Eagles, head to Los Angeles to face the Chargers on Thursday Night Football, visit Detroit, then play back to back home games against the Ravens and Bears. They’ll wrap the season with four road games in a five-week span, followed by another Thursday game — Christmas vs. Detroit — and the Week 18 finale vs. the Packers.
That’s a challenging slate for any quarterback, much less one taking his first spin through the league, as J.J. McCarthy will be doing. Repeating last year’s regular-season success will be difficult enough, much less atoning for the early playoff exit.
Week 1: at Bears (MNF)
Week 2: Falcons (SNF)
Week 3: Bengals
Week 4: Steelers (Dublin)
Week 5: Browns (London)
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: Eagles
Week 8: at Chargers (TNF)
Week 9: at Lions
Week 10: Ravens
Week 11: Bears
Week 12: at Packers
Week 13: at Seahawks
Week 14: Commanders
Week 15: at Cowboys (SNF)
Week 16: at Giants
Week 17: Lions (Christmas)
Week 18: Packers (TBD)