The Minnesota Vikings finished the 2018 season with an 8-7-1 record that kept them out of the playoffs. This was a massive disappointment for a team that had Super Bowl aspirations. During the off-season, the Vikings bolstered their offensive line, using their first-round draft pick on center Garrett Bradbury out of North Carolina State. They also hired Gary Kubiak as offensive assistant to help the team transition into a run-heavy offensive philosophy. The Vikings should be a playoff contender in 2019 with a strong defense led by defensive backs Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes, defensive linemen Danielle Hunter and Linval Joseph, as well as linebacker Anthony Barr. They also have weapons throughout their offense like wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, in addition to running back Dalvin Cook and quarterback Kirk Cousins. The Vikings enter the 2019 season with the 14th-most difficult schedule, according to Sharp Football’s Strength of Schedule Model. Let’s take a look at the Vikings eight easiest games in of the upcoming season.
Minnesota Vikings Most Difficult Games of 2019
Minnesota Vikings: Easiest Games of 2019
1. Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders
Despite trading for top wide receiver Antonio Brown, the Raiders project to once again be one of the worst teams in the NFL. This is a defense that remains one of the weaker units in the league, with a lackluster pass-rush and mediocre secondary. Quarterback Kirk Cousins should have a clean pocket in this game, allowing him to pick apart the Raiders, who will struggle to cover Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Add in the fact that the Raiders will have to travel to the east coast for a 1 PM game and you have the easiest game of the season for the Vikings.
2. Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins
The Redskins should have a solid defense, led by their stout defensive line that includes Alabama standouts like Jonathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne. Ryan Kerrigan also remains an outstanding pass-rusher and the team added defensive back Landon Collins to the secondary. But simply put, this is a bad matchup for them due to the question marks on their offensive line. Offensive tackle Trent Williams has asked for a trade – if he ends up leaving, what was a strength would turn into a weakness. This would allow the Minnesota pass-rushers to put pressure on either rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins or former Viking Case Keenum.
3. Week 5: @ New York Giants
The Giants might be the worst team in the NFC this season. The only reason they’re not higher on this matchup ranking is that they’re at home here. Quarterback Eli Manning is quite possibly the worst starter in the NFL right now. The team has one of the weakest receiving cores in the league with the departure of Odell Beckham. Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard are not top wide receivers. The offense will need big contributions from tight end Evan Engram and running back Saquon Barkley. The team also improved the offensive line with the acquisition of offensive guard Kevin Zeitler. They’ll need to run the football often to mask Eli’s deficiencies. The Vikings should be able to get to Eli with ease in this game.
4. Week 14: vs. Detroit Lions
The Lions are transitioning to a run-heavy offense, so they will try to hold possession and slow the game down. They’ve added tight end T.J. Hockenson in the draft, giving quarterback Matthew Stafford another weapon in the passing game. The team finished an underwhelming 6-10 in the first year under head coach Matt Patricia. The most encouraging sign of the 2018 season was the improvement on defense, as the Lions finished 10th in total defense. The addition of pass-rusher Trey Flowers should help this unit improve. Having said that, the Lions still look like the worst team in the division, so this is a winnable game for Minnesota.
5. Week 11: vs. Denver Broncos
The Broncos have the look of a surprise team in 2019, with a strong running game led by Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, a stout defense with pass-rushers like Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, and a defensive mastermind in head coach Vic Fangio. They’ve added veteran Joe Flacco at quarterback, who despite his sub-par numbers, has still managed to lead competitive teams. Flacco will be asked to manage the game and protect the football. This will be a physical game and a real test to see if the Vikings’ offensive line has actually improved, because Miller and Chubb are the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL.
6. Week 7: @ Detroit Lions
The first matchup with the Lions will be much more difficult for the Vikings since the game will be in Detroit. The Lions should be able to have more success running the football with second-year running back Kerryon Johnson in this one. Matt Patricia’s defense will also have a better chance to get to Kirk Cousins and force him into mistakes. It’s always tough to win a game on the road, especially when it’s against a division rival. The Lions are still an average team though, which is why this matchup is #14 on this list.
7. Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears
This is the last game of the season, so there’s a strong likelihood that it will have playoff implications. The Vikings should be favored in this contest, due to their home-field advantage. Pass-rushers Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen should be able to get to Bears’ quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in this one. I like the Vikings’ chances of forcing Mitch into some turnovers here. But the Bears are still a strong team with a stout defense and skilled offense, so this is the second-most difficult game out of this crop of easier games in the Vikings’ schedule.
8. Week 1: vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons continue to have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, led by quarterback Matt Ryan, and wide receiver Julio Jones. The team gets running back Devonta Freeman back from injury and second-year wideout Calvin Ridley showed a lot of promise as a rookie. The team also has the two most integral parts of their defensive returning from injury: linebacker Deion Jones and defensive back Keanu Neal. There’s a decent chance that the defense can take the next step this season, if they stay healthy. The Vikings will look to keep this dynamic offense off the field by feeding the ball to running back Dalvin Cook. I expect a close game in Week 1 between two playoff contenders.
Outlook
The Vikings should aim for a 6-2 record in this selection of easier opponents. If they could accomplish this goal, they will likely be looking at a return to the NFL Playoffs. It’s more important for the team to win the conference and divisional games – if they could afford to lose one of this selection, it would be against the AFC opponent Broncos. With a strong defense, solid running game, and reliable passing attack, the Vikings should be able to take care of business against the weaker teams on this list.
Minnesota Vikings Most Difficult Games of 2019
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