We knew the Vikings opponents just not dates and times but that changed Thursday night with the three hour ESPN’s schedule release show. Yes we knew bits and pieces as the day went on with social media leaks and at 6:30 teams were allowed to make the schedule available to the public.
This is a year where the schedule is laid out we just don’t know if fans will be in the stands including myself who is facing having my 20th year as a season ticket holder maybe having to wait to next season.
As far as the Vikings schedule I am a big fan of the layout beginning with the historical week one home matchup vs the Green Bay Packers. It’s historical because they have never played in Minnesota in the first week.
I look at the break downs of times and the Vikings are scheduled to have twelve 12:00 start times, two 3:30 starts and one Sunday night and one Monday night.
I also look at the weather or at least potential weather and I see twelve of the sixteen games are played in domes and the four outdoor are at Seattle, Green Bay, Chicago and Tampa Bay.
The season starts with the Viking facing in the first four weeks three teams from the AFC South (Indianapolis, Tennessee and Houston.)
The season also starts for the Vikings facing four of the 2019 NFL playoff teams in the first five weeks (Green Bay, Tennessee, Houston and Seattle.)
I look at each month starting in September with home vs Green Bay then at Indianapolis and home vs Tennessee so it’s extra important to start off the season with 2 of 3 wins minimum.
We then look at October where it’s tough going to Houston then to Seattle for Sunday night and end with a home game vs Atlanta and then it’s the bye week.
The first seven games overall sees 3 games at home and four games on the road so it’s a tough start to the season.
The month of November starts strange as the purple travels to Lambeau Field to face the Packers. The reason I say strange as the Vikings will have played the Packers twice and have not even seen the Bears or Lions as of yet.
The Vikings come home to face the Lions then off to the Windy City to face the Chicago Bears on Monday night football. I feel this three game stretch is huge being it’s NFC North teams and a chance to make a move in the standings.
This month the Vikings play five games so after Chicago they come home for a three game home stand with Dallas and Carolina to end the month.
It’s now December and the first game is the 3rd home game vs the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team then travels to face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Vikings return to US Bank for the last home game of the year, the Chicago Bears. It’s strange because it’s seems like every year the last game of the year is always Chicago but not this year.
The final two games are on the road as the team plays on the road at New Orleans on Friday December 25th at 3:25. Yes Christmas day and ESPN has said it’s one of the top 10 scheduled games of the season in all of the NFL.
The season ends with a trip to Detroit to face the Lions in hopefully a meaningless game.
I look at November and December and the only potential cold weather game is in Chicago on Monday night football in week 10. The Vikings travel to Tampa Bay in December so that won’t be a cold weather game.
I love the schedule and I hope to see the games in person but if I can’t I love not to having to worry about a game in the frozen tundra of Green Bay or any other cold climates.
This is the year for the Minnesota Vikings.
Thank you for reading
Purplestick
