Real Schedule News

[Zanary]

Beyond our game, I'm really interested in what kind of KC team rolls out this year. The "make enough plays in the nick of time" approach was not a great look last season, big game appearance or no. I'm curious if Reid can find/afford/train the pieces to put around Mahomes much longer....

[FLVike]

I'm 100% sure week 18 will be the Packers

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from NFL Nerd

Bengals at Vikings - Week 3

[FLVike]

week 15
Vikings at Cowboys, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC) (Source)

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Vikings 2025 Schedule (Leaked, not official)

1. at Bears, MNF 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
2. Falcons, SNF
3. Bengals
4. at Steelers, Ireland
5. at Browns, London
6. Bye
7. Eagles
8. at Chargers, TNF 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon Prime)
9. at Lions
10. Ravens
11. Bears
12. at Packers
13. at Seahawks
14. Commanders
15. at Cowboys, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC) (Source)
16. at Giants, 1 pm
17. Lions, Christmas 1 pm or 4:30 pm (Netflix)
18. Packers

[supafreak84]

That's just a brutal schedule. No weeks off

[StickierBuns]

That's just a brutal schedule. No weeks off

Yep, but we knew that for a bit now. If Minnesota can get through this murderer's row and get into the playoffs, they should be ready at that point to be dangerous. Legitimately. Long season ahead, one game at a time. Need to hit on last year's, this year's and next year's Draft classes to keep up moving forward and lay the foundation for young players taking over key positions that don't need to spend big FA money on.

[MaroonBells]

That's just a brutal schedule. No weeks off

It's not an easy schedule that's for sure. But I think it looks a little easier than last year's schedule when it first came out. We had nearly unwinnable games against the 49ers, Texans and Jets. USA Today picked the Jets to win the Super Bowl. The 49ers were defending NFC champs and the Texans just added Danielle Hunter to Will Anderson and had OROY CJ Stroud going into year two. Of course none of those teams ended up being what we thought they'd be and we won all three. I suspect there will be a few teams like that this year.

[MaroonBells]

Wow, just realized that the Vikings will be on TV a LOT, especially early on...

@ Bears—MNF Primetime
Falcons—SNF Primetime
Bengals—Good chance broadcast to a majority of the country
@ Steelers—INTL
@ Browns—INTL
Eagles—Very likely broadcast to a majority of the country
@ Chargers—TNF Primetime
@ Lions—Good chance broadcast to a majority of the country
Ravens—Even chance broadcast to a majority of the country

I'd say there's a good chance I won't even need the Ticket until week 11 against the Bears.

[FLVike]

Wow, just realized that the Vikings will be on TV a LOT, especially early on...

@ Bears—MNF Primetime
Falcons—SNF Primetime
Bengals—Good chance broadcast to a majority of the country
@ Steelers—INTL
@ Browns—INTL
Eagles—Very likely broadcast to a majority of the country
@ Chargers—TNF Primetime
@ Lions—Good chance broadcast to a majority of the country
Ravens—Even chance broadcast to a majority of the country

I'd say there's a good chance I won't even need the Ticket until week 11 against the Bears.

right now it looks like 7 national televised games.

[purplefaithful]

The first season of quarterback J.J. McCarthy's career will be a doozy.

The Vikings have been assigned seven nationally televised games, including four in the first five weeks of the season. By the end of Week 5, they will have played in three different countries.

Four of those games will be played in prime time, starting with the season opener at Chicago. The Vikings won 14 games last season, and after a free agent frenzy that left them with $315 million in cash commitments for 2025, the NFL is ready to expose them to the world.

Strength of schedule: 
The Vikings are tied for the fifth hardest schedule in the league (opponents had a 0.557 winning percentage in 2024).
Over/Under: 8.5 wins

Biggest takeaway

We've known since January that the Vikings' 2025 opponents would make for a tough season. 

And indeed, a first glance through the schedule hammers that home. 

But there are some subtle spots where the Vikings caught a break. The big one is avoiding trips to Pittsburgh and Cleveland, instead getting to play them at neutral sites in Europe. But they'll also get a bye before arguably their most difficult game, at home against the Eagles in Week 7. 

And they'll get a mini-bye before the first of their two games against the Lions, thanks to a Thursday night game that precedes it.

Circle this date

McCarthy not only will make his NFL debut in prime time on "Monday Night Football," but the Vikings' Week 1 game will be played in his hometown. 

McCarthy grew up in the Chicago suburb of La Grange Park, Ill., and attended Nazareth Academy for most of his high school career. He was a star youth hockey player there, long before he shifted to football as his primary sport, and his parents still live in the area. McCarthy's career will run parallel to the quarterback the Bears chose instead of him in the 2024 draft: Caleb Williams.

That's a lot of storylines to start off a season with.

Key stretch

It's hard to avoid a focus on the first five weeks of the season.

As McCarthy tries to get his feet under him, he'll play in front of the entire country four times.

He'll start with consecutive prime-time games, and only one of the first five will have a standard 1 p.m. ET start.

It doesn't necessarily get easier after that stretch, as they'll host the Eagles and then travel to the Chargers for another nationally televised game. But if the Vikings can make it to their Week 6 bye with their wits about them, McCarthy will have received the most intense indoctrination imaginable.

Bold prediction

The Vikings will enter Week 17 needing to win their final two games in order to make the playoffs. 

That's not because of the high-profile start to their season, but instead a five-game stretch that will include four road games between Weeks 12 and 16. Their only home game during that period is against the Commanders, and three of the road games -- at Green Bay, Seattle and New York -- are outdoors.

Is it fair for the NFL to impose two games in Europe?

It depends on how you look at it. The Vikings will play the Steelers in Week 4 in Dublin, and then make the short trip to London for their Week 5 game against the Browns. 

It's true that international games can be grueling for players and coaches, and there is no NFL precedent for teams playing consecutive international games in different cities. On the other hand, the Vikings will avoid trips to Pittsburgh (where they last won in 1995) and Cleveland (where they have won once since 1984). In their history, the Vikings have a 4-0 record in London, including 2-0 since coach Kevin O'Connell arrived in 2022.

ESPN

[MaroonBells]

I hate that we open at the Bears. No more dangerous team than a pretty decent upstart team hoping for a quick start with a new coach and a rebuilt roster. And getting that team in their house on opening weekend. Everyone wants to win, but I guarantee you Ben Johnson would give body parts to win this game. I'd much rather be playing the Eagles, Lions or Commanders opening day.