The NFL finally announced the 2022 Minnesota Vikings regular season schedule, with the full details on opponents and locations being revealed and finalized this week. The NFL already announced the opponents set to face the Vikings in the new year, but now the NFL announced those games time and location throughout the 18-week regular season.
After going 8-9 overall in 2021 and finishing second in the NFC North and on the outside of the playoff picture, Minnesota hopes to bounce back in a big way in 2022. The Vikings enter the new year with the 20th-toughest strength of schedule in the NFL. That should allow them the opportunity to improve upon that below-.500 mark last season.
With the schedule now finalized and Minnesota hitting the national stage a few different times throughout the regular season, this article analyses the newly-announced schedule for the purple and gold.
Breaking Down the 2022 Minnesota Vikings Schedule
Full Regular Season Schedule
- Week 1 vs. Green Bay Packers
- Week 2 at Philadelphia Eagles (Monday Night Football)
- Week 3 vs. Detroit Lions
- Week 4 vs. New Orleans Saints (2022 International Series in London)
- Week 5 vs. Chicago Bears
- Week 6 at Miami Dolphins
- Week 7 – Bye
- Week 8 vs. Arizona Cardinals
- Week 9 at Washington Commanders
- Week 10 at Buffalo Bills
- Week 11 vs. Dallas Cowboys
- Week 12 vs. New England Patriots (Thanksgiving Day)
- Week 13 vs. New York Jets
- Week 14 at Detroit Lions
- Week 15 vs. Indianapolis Colts
- Week 16 vs. New York Giants (Christmas Eve)
- Week 17 at Green Bay Packers (New Years Day)
- Week 18 at Chicago Bears
Games to Watch and Prediction
Now that the schedule is finalized, it’s time to look at some games that pop out as games to watch during the year. Moreover, ultimately analyse how the Vikings will perform by the end of the season after completing those 17 games.
As always, the regular season schedule for Minnesota features six games against NFC North opponents, home-and-home series against division rivals Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. The Packers, who are early favorites in the division, will always be a tough opponent for the Vikings. Entertainment defines matchups between the Vikings and Lions or Bears. In those games, however, Minnesota should come out on top more often than not.
Outside of the division, the schedule features interesting matchups for the Vikings, worth keeping an eye on. The Monday Night Football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, the evolving rivalry game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 4 in London, a Thanksgiving Day contest against the New England Patriots, and a Christmas Eve game against the New York Giants in Week 16 stand out. Those games in particular will come on a national and even global stage; platforms the Vikings have traditionally struggled on.
Season Prediction
In other non-divisional games, the two-week span featuring a Week 10 battle at the Buffalo Bills and a Week 11 home game agains the Dallas Cowboys will be fun to watch, given Minnesota will be going up against two playoff-caliber teams in their respective conferences.
The team should improve upon a disappointing campaign in 2021. However, the Vikings will likely remain around the .500 mark at the end of the 17 games. Last year, the Vikings fell in a handful of games by one possession or in late-game fashion. Getting so close, but failing, likely will not happen again in 2022. Hence, an improved team shouldwin at least one or two additional games that they lost last year.
Overall, Minnesota should finish around the 8-10 win mark. The improvements should net the Vikings a total of nine wins. That should put the Vikings in a spot to fight for both a NFC North crown and a spot in the NFC Playoffs. Fans and pundits should consider either scenario a success under the first-year regime in place.
Season Prediction: 9-8 overall
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