Bring Me The Sports' official prediction for the 2023 Minnesota Vikings
Peter King doesn't think the Vikings will make the playoffs. ESPN believes the Vikings will win the NFC North, take the top seed in the NFC playoffs and lose to the Eagles at home in the NFC Championship Game. Those are examples of how polarizing the 2023 Minnesota Vikings are in the eyes of the nation.
In summary of our 2023 Vikings prediction, just know that we firmly believe that this version of the Vikings is more talented than the 2022-23 team that went 13-4. Last year's team won eight games with fourth-quarter comebacks and 11 wins were by eight points or fewer.
How in the heck could this team be luckier than last year's team? They won't be that lucky, but if the offense is improved, which it should be with a full year of T.J. Hockenson and rookie Jordan Addison taking pressure away from Justin Jefferson, and the defense is better, which is has to be considering Ed Donatell's scheme was atrocious, the 2023 Vikings won't need that much luck.
Note: If Kirk Cousins or Justin Jefferson goes down with an injury, toss these predictions in the trash.
Editor's note: Having read to the end of this article, knowing what we know about Minnesota sports, toss these predictions in the trash.
Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Win
The Bucs return a solid pass defense but with Baker Mayfield facing an aggressive Minnesota defense, this one should go sideways and in favor of the Vikings. 1-0
Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles – Loss
The defending NFC champs have what could be the most talented roster in the NFL. There's no reason they won't be firing on all cylinders from the jump, and that's bad news since the Vikings will be on the road and playing on short rest Thursday night. 1-1
Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Chargers – Win
Playing at home with extra should bode well for the Vikings against a Chargers team that is expected to compete for a playoff spot. We expect this to be a shootout. 2-1
Week 4: at Carolina Panthers – Win
Bryce Young didn't look great in the preseason and with DJ Chark injured it leaves Adam Thielen as the No. 1 receiver without much help around him. Minnesota's offense might be slowed a bit by Carolina's defense, but this should be an easy win. 3-1
Week 5: vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Win
The Chiefs are the champs and arguably the best team in the NFL again this season. Logic says Minnesota won't be able to slow down Patrick Mahomes but also says the Chiefs defense, which was middle of the road last season and doesn't appear to be as good on paper this season, will have a hard time slowing down Justin Jefferson and Minnesota's attack in the cauldron that is U.S. Bank Stadium. Let's go crazy and predict a win here. 4-1
Week 6: at Chicago Bears – Win
Weird things always happen at Soldier Field but this is a bad Bears team and Minnesota should get the W when the weather is still tolerable in the Windy City. 5-1
Week 7: vs. San Francisco 49ers – Win
Minnesotans have circled this game as a loss but that's largely due to the mysterious belief that Brock Purdy is actually really good. Nobody knows what Purdy will bring to the table in Year 2, so while the 49ers are loaded from top to bottom, they'll only go as far as Purdy can take them. If Minnesota's defense is better this year than last year, this could be a nice home win on Monday Night Football to get to 6-1.
Week 8: at Green Bay Packers – Win
This one gets us nervous. Maybe the Packers do have the third coming of NFL Jesus with Jordan Love. He looked awfully precise in the preseason. We're not saying he's going to be on the level of Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers, but he's probably better than we think. Still, this is Year 2 under Kevin O'Connell and Minnesota is going to very tough to stop. 7-1
Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons – Win
NFL.com's analytics claim Atlanta will be a team that grinds the clock and makes it hard to blow them out. That's fine, but anyone who thinks the Desmond Ridder to Mack Hollins connection will win the South, much less more than a handful of games, is crazy. This should be one of the easier road wins of the season for the Vikings. 8-1
Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints – Win
If this game were on the road we'd pick the Saints, but Minnesota at home should be enough to give Derek Carr troubles. He has elite weapons with Chris Olave, Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara, and that could make things difficult for the Vikings. Still, they're going to win this one. 9-1
Week 11: at Denver Broncos – Win
Playing at altitude will come with challenges, but we're going with a Vikings victory largely because Denver will be coming off a traumatic stretch with games against the Jets, Chiefs, Packers, Chiefs and then at Buffalo on Monday night before hosting the Vikings. We're exhausted just thinking about that stretch. 10-1
Week 12: vs. Chicago Bears – Win
Hosting the Bears on Monday night after Thanksgiving should be no problem for the Vikings. 11-1
Week 14: at Las Vegas Raiders – Win
Trap game? It has all the markings of a difficult road game in Sin City and with the Raiders well rested after their bye. But Minnesota will also be coming off the bye and the Vikings have a better team. 12-1
Week 15: at Cincinnati Bengals – Loss
Finally. We've found the second loss since Week 2. The Bengals are as good as it gets and playing them in the cold of mid-December will be the Vikings' first cold weather game of the season. It's more likely be 50+ degrees in Denver in mid-November, but the average high temp in Cincy in mid-December is between 30-40 degrees. 12-2
Week 16: vs. Detroit Lions – Win
This will be a dogfight but we believe the Vikings are slightly superior and will win at home. In our world, this game could secure the NFC North with two weeks to go. 13-2
Week 17: vs. Green Bay Packers – Win
Playing on Sunday Night Football on New Year's Eve against the Packers could have big stakes as the Vikings try to secure the top seed in the NFC and the Packers fight for a wild-card spot. 14-2
Week 18: at Detroit Lions – Loss
It's nonsense predicting games this late in the season since starters could be resting for either team, but we'll give it to a very good Lions team in their home building. 14-3
Vikings vs. Eagles in NFC Championship Game
Fourteen wins will get the Vikings into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, which means the road to the Super Bowl goes through Minneapolis. Here's how we see the NFC playing out...
- NFC North champ: Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
- NFC East champ: Philadelphia Eagles (13-4)
- NFC South champ: New Orleans Saints (12-5)
- NFC West champ: San Francisco 49ers (10-7)
- Wild Card 1: Dallas Cowboys (11-6)
- Wild Card 2: Detroit Lions (11-6)
- Wild Card 3: Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
Wild Card Round
- Vikings on bye
- Eagles over Seahawks
- Lions over Saints
- Cowboys over 49ers
Divisional Round
- Vikings over Lions
- Eagles over Cowboys
NFC Championship
- Vikings over Eagles
Our brains tell us to pick the Eagles in this potential NFC title game but in this scenario the game is being played in Minneapolis, where Minnesotans will be thirsty for revenge after the Eagles won the Super Bowl inside U.S. Bank Stadium in February 2018. It all comes full circle this season and with Minnesota's elite offense coupled with a defense that should be quite good at this point in Brian Flores's scheme, we are going to drink the purple juice and head to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl: Vikings vs. Jets
Yes. It's going to happen. The Vikings against Aaron Rodgers in the Super Bowl. We're off the Chiefs bandwagon and fully believe Rodgers coupled with Dalvin Cook, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson and a dynamic defense led by Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner will be the team to beat in the AFC this season.
This game terrifies us. Rodgers going out as a champion might be written in the stars, but Kirk Cousins has quietly become one of the most likable players on the planet and his enthusiasm and leadership will lift the Vikings to the first Super Bowl in franchise history on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2024.
