Minnesota Vikings Schedule

[Rhoadhoused]

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9: vs. Jacksonville, noon, CBS

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16: at Indianapolis, noon, Fox

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23: vs. San Francisco, noon, Fox

Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30: at Detroit, noon, Fox

Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7: vs. Tennessee, noon, CBS

Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14: at Washington, 3:15 p.m., Fox

Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 21: vs. Arizona, noon, Fox

Week 8: Thursday, Oct. 25: vs. Tampa Bay, 7:20 p.m., NFL Network

Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4: at Seattle, 3:15 p.m., Fox

Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11: vs. Detroit, noon, Fox

Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18: Bye

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25: at Chicago, noon, Fox

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2: at Green Bay, noon, Fox

Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9: vs. Chicago, noon, Fox

Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16: at St. Louis, noon, Fox

Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23: at Houston, noon, Fox

Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30: vs. Green Bay, noon, Fox

It looks very favorable outside of the division, although Detroit, Chicago, and GB are all very good. You would be hard pressed to find a better division in football IMO. I know the Vikings were 3-13 last year, but they weren't really a hopeless, terrible excuse for a team until the team basically gave up (I don't blame them) at the end of the year. They had a lot of big leads on good teams and found a way to blow it at the end. I think that even if they go 2-4 in the division (which I think is a reasonably low expectation) that they could end up with 8 or so wins. Here's how I see it. I ended up higher than I expect next season, but wow there are really not that many good teams on this schedule at all. I expect the NFC North to have 2 or 3 playoff teams with those cross divisional matchups. The averages I added put it around 8.55 wins. Sounds about right. I feel like this is way more wins than I would expect, but the schedule just looks so weak.

vs. Jacksonville, noon, CBS W 80%
at Indianapolis, noon, Fox W 80%
vs. San Francisco, noon, Fox L 10%
at Detroit, noon, Fox L 45%
vs. Tennessee, noon, CBS W 60%
at Washington, 3:15 p.m., Fox W 70%
vs. Arizona, noon, Fox W 75%
vs. Tampa Bay, 7:20 p.m., NFL Network W 75%
at Seattle, 3:15 p.m., Fox W 60%
vs. Detroit, noon, Fox W 55%
Bye
at Chicago, noon, Fox L 30%
at Green Bay, noon, Fox L 15%
vs. Chicago, noon, Fox L 50%
at St. Louis, noon, Fox W 70%
at Houston, noon, Fox L 40%
vs. Green Bay, noon, Fox L 40%

[Rhoadhoused]

Apparently the reason the schedule is so easy is this:
1) you play everyone in your division home and away (6 games)
2) you play every team in an AFC division, divisions you play rotate (4 games)
3) you play every team in a NFC division, divisions you play rotate (4 games)
4) you play 1 team from each NFC division you don't play that finished in the same place in your division as you finished in yours (2 games)

That gives two games against last place teams from last year.

[CyBer]

Why are the GB games so late this year?

[Rhoadhoused]

Why are the GB games so late this year?

No idea. I like finishing against GB or Chicago, that 3 game stretch seems like something that would be avoided at all costs by scheduling.

[Flynn4Heisman]

Sorry, you will not be beating us for the third year in a row. Why not make a trip to the desert for once? You're gonna have to adapt to the heat anyway, as you'll be coming to LA soon, as not even Minneapolis gives a crap about it's own team.

[Rhoadhoused]

Sorry, you will not be beating us for the third year in a row. Why not make a trip to the desert for once? You're gonna have to adapt to the heat anyway, as you'll be coming to LA soon, as not even Minneapolis gives a crap about it's own team.

Harshmellow man and we blew you the **** out last year with a 3-13 team if that says anything about how good you are.

[IcSyU]

Sorry, you will not be beating us for the third year in a row. Why not make a trip to the desert for once? You're gonna have to adapt to the heat anyway, as you'll be coming to LA soon, as not even Minneapolis gives a crap about it's own team.

Which is ironic considering the Vikings average 1,600 more people in seats per game. Hmmm...University of Phoenix Stadium....the Metrodome...yet the insanely nicer venue can't pull in more fans. Even if you account for the extra seats in the Metrodome, the Vikings still outdraw the Cardinals in an old, piece of ****, dilapidated stadium.

[CycloneGB]

Apparently the reason the schedule is so easy is this:
1) you play everyone in your division home and away (6 games)
2) you play every team in an AFC division, divisions you play rotate (4 games)
3) you play every team in a NFC division, divisions you play rotate (4 games)
4) you play 1 team from each NFC division you don't play that finished in the same place in your division as you finished in yours (2 games)

That gives two games against last place teams from last year.

Tampa and Washington.. Looks easy based off last year (SOS) but I could see those two teams being up from last year. Especially the Redskins if they end up with a decent QB

[Rhoadhoused]

Tampa and Washington.. Looks easy based off last year (SOS) but I could see those two teams being up from last year. Especially the Redskins if they end up with a decent QB

I agree but I can also easily see the Vikings being up from last year. They had to really, really **** a lot of games down their leg in the first 6 games of the season and then give up for the last 6 games of the season to get to their final record. Assuming Peterson can get back at 90% for the beginning of the season and that Ponder is average in his development I think 8 wins is about where I would predict them.

The secondary sure couldn't be worse and the offensive line will surely be better if the Vikings take Kahlil.

[ISpyCy]

I agree but I can also easily see the Vikings being up from last year. They had to really, really **** a lot of games down their leg in the first 6 games of the season and then give up for the last 6 games of the season to get to their final record. Assuming Peterson can get back at 90% for the beginning of the season and that Ponder is average in his development I think 8 wins is about where I would predict them.

The secondary sure couldn't be worse and the offensive line will surely be better if the Vikings take Kahlil.

IMO, Success this year depends on two things: 1) Can AP get back to his ol' self; and 2) Can the OL do even a halfway decent job at protecting Ponder? I don't expect a lot from this team this year as it is. The first half of the schedule could have us with a winning record going into the Bye...but that second half looks brutal. With no primetime games this year, we won't miss much anyway.

Plus, I like having Green Bay at home for our season finale. If it winds up being the last NFL game in Minnesota, there's no better way to go out than to a bitter rival (unless we lose, then it's not as fun).

[IcSyU]

IMO, Success this year depends on two things: 1) Can AP get back to his ol' self; and 2) Can the OL do even a halfway decent job at protecting Ponder? I don't expect a lot from this team this year as it is. The first half of the schedule could have us with a winning record going into the Bye...but that second half looks brutal. With no primetime games this year, we won't miss much anyway.

Plus, I like having Green Bay at home for our season finale. If it winds up being the last NFL game in Minnesota, there's no better way to go out than to a bitter rival (unless we lose, then it's not as fun).

I think the Vikings have to play 2 years in Minneapolis yet. Getting a stadium up in LA is going to take longer than the 17 months until 2013 kicks off.

[Rhoadhoused]

IMO, Success this year depends on two things: 1) Can AP get back to his ol' self; and 2) Can the OL do even a halfway decent job at protecting Ponder? I don't expect a lot from this team this year as it is. The first half of the schedule could have us with a winning record going into the Bye...but that second half looks brutal. With no primetime games this year, we won't miss much anyway.

Plus, I like having Green Bay at home for our season finale. If it winds up being the last NFL game in Minnesota, there's no better way to go out than to a bitter rival (unless we lose, then it's not as fun).

I agree. I think Cook coming back is huge because even though he is a POS he is a good cornerback, probably our best. I think having two good TEs for Ponder to throw to along with Harvin will be a really good thing.

If they get Kahlil, and then a big WR like Jeffrey, and then a S or CB in the 3rd I will be ecstatic.

[IcSyU]

I agree. I think Cook coming back is huge because even though he is a POS he is a good cornerback, probably our best. I think having two good TEs for Ponder to throw to along with Harvin will be a really good thing.

If they get Kahlil, and then a big WR like Jeffrey, and then a S or CB in the 3rd I will be ecstatic.

That'd be the first time in roughly forever in which the Vikings have drafted well.

[Rhoadhoused]

That'd be the first time in roughly forever in which the Vikings have drafted well.

IDK I think they have done pretty decent in the early rounds. Greenway, Sullivan, Peterson, Robison, Ray Edwards, Loadholt, Cook, and EJ Henderson were all good picks.

Gerhart and Ponder were probably reaches, but both could be good players.

[ISpyCy]

I agree. I think Cook coming back is huge because even though he is a POS he is a good cornerback, probably our best. I think having two good TEs for Ponder to throw to along with Harvin will be a really good thing.

If they get Kahlil, and then a big WR like Jeffrey, and then a S or CB in the 3rd I will be ecstatic.

Agreed...but the way Rick Spielman is stirring the pot with trade rumors has me wondering what he's really thinking.