Vikings 2020 Home and Road Opponents Set
With the 2019 regular season in the rearview mirror, it's time to turn our attention to the playoffs. The Vikings have begun preparations for their difficult first round matchup against the Saints in New Orleans on Sunday.
But with the Vikings facing long odds to make a deep run in the postseason, it may soon be time to turn our attention to the offseason and the upcoming 2020 campaign, as well.
One important aspect of that is looking at the Vikings' opponents for next year's regular season. Of their ten non-divisional games, we already knew they were facing the NFC South and AFC South. And with the regular season standings finalized, we now know the last two opponents are the Cowboys (who finished second in the NFC East) and the Seahawks (second in the NFC West).
Here's the full list of home and away opponents, with their 2019 record in parentheses some additional thoughts after both sections.
Home Opponents
- Bears (8-8)
- Lions (3-12-1)
- Packers (13-3)
- Falcons (7-9)
- Panthers (5-11)
- Cowboys (8-8)
- Jaguars (6-10)
- Titans (9-7)
Analysis: For the second straight year, the Vikings project to have a fairly easy home slate. They went 6-2 at home in 2019, with the only two losses coming to divisional foes Green Bay and Chicago over the final two weeks (and the Bears loss was with starters resting). However, only one of their six home wins came against a team that finished at .500 or better, which was the 9-7 Eagles.
There are just two 2019 playoff teams in this group, the Packers and Titans. The Bears and Cowboys made the playoffs in 2018 and will be looking for bounce-back seasons, so those games figure to be competitive. The Falcons offered little resistance in their Week 1 loss in Minneapolis, but finished the season by winning six of their final eight games and seem likely to improve next season. None of the Lions, Panthers, and Jaguars are likely to make a big leap towards playoff contention.
In total, the Vikings – who are 23-9 in regular season games at U.S. Bank Stadium since it opened in 2016 – will hope to replicate their 6-2 mark from this season, at minimum.
Road Opponents
- Bears (8-8)
- Lions (3-12-1)
- Packers (13-3)
- Buccaneers (7-9)
- Saints (13-3)
- Seahawks (12-4)
- Colts (7-9)
- Texans (10-6)
Analysis: In contrast to the home slate, this is a difficult collection of road games. The Vikings went just 4-4 on the road this season, losing all three of their matchups with eventual playoff teams and also falling to the Bears. Their best win came against the 8-8 Cowboys. They'll likely need to win at least one big road game next season if they want to take back the NFC North title from the Packers.
There are four 2019 playoff teams on this slate, all of which posted double-digit wins this year. And given the quarterback situation of the Packers, Saints, Seahawks, and Texans, all four figure to be contenders again next season. The Bucs and Colts are also interesting, as they have talented rosters but question marks at quarterback. Can the Vikings find a way to win at Soldier Field? Going at least 5-3 on the road next season would go a long way.
If you're confused about the Vikings playing in Seattle for the third straight regular season, here's an explanation from the Star Tribune's Ben Goessling:
