Vikings 2022 Schedule

Vikings wanted home game, not bye, after LondonThe first two times the Vikings played in London — against the Steelers in 2013 and the Browns in 2017 — they took their bye week right after the game. This year, they'll travel to London for a Week 4 matchup against the Saints, but will be back home the following Sunday for a matchup with the Bears.
O'Connell said the Vikings lobbied the league for that schedule.
"Although might help in the short term coming off a trip like that, playing 13 games in a row before possibly playing some games on top of that, that can be really taxing on these guys," O'Connell said. "So what we wanted to try to do is get the bye a little bit later."
Instead, their bye falls in Week 7.
"We'll do a great job with our sports performance group, listening to the science on how we can make our guys feel great for game, but then obviously making sure that our players are feeling great for that following week's home game," O'Connell said.
https://www.startribune.com/vikings-notebook-rookie-minicamp-opens-kevin-oconnell-brett-hundley/600173031/

@"purplefaithful" said: Vikings wanted home game, not bye, after LondonThe first two times the Vikings played in London — against the Steelers in 2013 and the Browns in 2017 — they took their bye week right after the game. This year, they'll travel to London for a Week 4 matchup against the Saints, but will be back home the following Sunday for a matchup with the Bears. O'Connell said the Vikings lobbied the league for that schedule. "Although might help in the short term coming off a trip like that, playing 13 games in a row before possibly playing some games on top of that, that can be really taxing on these guys," O'Connell said. "So what we wanted to try to do is get the bye a little bit later." Instead, their bye falls in Week 7. "We'll do a great job with our sports performance group, listening to the science on how we can make our guys feel great for game, but then obviously making sure that our players are feeling great for that following week's home game," O'Connell said. https://www.startribune.com/vikings-notebook-rookie-minicamp-opens-kevin-oconnell-brett-hundley/600173031/

Also, love KOC's mindset in thinking playoffs. Always got to have that belief. 

You know….because its fair for us to play all our division rivals on the road at the end of the season 

• The last time the Vikings capped a regular season at Soldier Field was 1971. Minnesota won the game 27-10 behind two Bob Lee touchdown passes. The Vikings were bounced out of the playoffs a week later at Metropolitan Stadium by the Dallas Cowboys.

• Since U.S. Bank Stadium was erected in 2016, the Vikings final home game — every season — has been versus the Bears.

• In team history, the Vikings are 19-24-3 (.446) at Lambeau Field, whereas at Soldier Field, Minnesota is 21-28 (.429). So, the Vikings don’t play well at eitherplace, but one would be hard-pressed to find teams with winning road records over 60+ years at either venue. 

• The Vikings have never finished a season with back-to-back games on the road versus the Packers and Bears. There will be several firsts this season for Minnesota with a new general manager and head coach. 

Really liking the schedule.  Of course, the last 2 in January at Pack and Bears is not ideal but will give us time to work out some kinks with a whole new Coaching staff.  Plus we will know how much we need those games.  I also think the Bears might be one of the worst teams in the NFC and catching an aging Rodgers towards the end might also work to our advantage.  To be honest I have been a little down on the offseason but this schedule gives me a little more hope for a 10 win season.  Obviously it comes down to how well we are playing towards the end to see if we have what it takes to be a playoff threat which is really what I am hoping for and would certainly make me very optimistic moving forward.  Last year we had a shot at the playoffs with all those close losses but had zero illusions that we were a playoff threat if we had made it...I know any given Sunday but last season was doomed from the start and I actually said that after the horrendous preseason.