Way-too-early Minnesota Vikings 2025 game-by-game predictions

Last year, I predicted the Vikings to finish 12-5. While most people thought I was insane, I wound up shortchanging Minnesota because they went 14-3 and finished with the second-best record in the NFL.

Those predictions were made in early September, just before the season kicked off. We'll certainly have to hit refresh on the predictions just before the 2025-26 season, but these are my way-too-early, game-by-game predictions for the Vikings — something I just had to do since the full schedule was released Wednesday.

Week 1: Vikings at Bears

Caleb Williams in his second season. Ben Johnson coaching his first game. J.J. McCarthy playing where he's always dreamed of playing at Soldier Field. Both rosters reloaded with fresh bodies in the trenches. This has the makings of a great Monday night game, but I'm going with Minnesota largely because Kevin O'Connell has been around the head coaching block while Johnson is making his debut. Record: 1-0

Week 2: Vikings vs. Falcons

The home opener on Sunday Night Football. McCarthy making his regular season home debut. It's going to be loud and the Vikings are going to crush Atlanta, with Michael Penix Jr. likely being overwhelmed by Minnesota's defense. The Falcons simply don't have the personnel to keep up with the Vikings. Record: 2-0

Week 3: Vikings vs. Bengals

Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase on the same field together. Joe Burrow vs. McCarthy. This one has all the makings of a great game — and possibly a shootout. The Bengals could be coming in confident with games against the Browns and Jaguars to start the season, and if they're 2-0 entering the day, they'll be 2-1 leaving the day. Record: 3-0

Week 4: Vikings at Steelers (Dublin)

Aaron Rodgers? If he is the Steelers quarterback, he'll be throwing the ball to D.K. Metcalf but not George Pickens. Pittsburgh is good, but not great. These Vikings are great and they also have a home-field feel thanks to extensive fan support overseas. A guy named O'Connell certainly isn't going to lose a game in Ireland. Record: 4-0

Week 5: Vikings at Browns (London)

The Vikings will jump the Irish Sea and travel 288 miles while the Browns will be traveling 3,000 miles after playing a road game against the Lions. This won't go well for Joe Flacco (or Kenny Pickett or Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel) and the Browns. Record: 5-0

Week 7: Vikings vs. Eagles

The Vikings will be coming off a bye in Week 6 and the Eagles will be on 10 days rest thanks to the mini bye created by playing on Thursday night in Week 6. Two Super Bowl contenders going toe-to-toe in Minneapolis. If both teams are at full strength, it'll be a dog fight. But I'm taking the home team. Record: 6-0

Week 8: Vikings at Chargers

Playing on Thursday night after a game against the Eagles isn't a great setup for Minnesota. It's kind of similar to how they played the Lions and then had to face the Rams on a Thursday night last season. They lost that game in L.A. and I expect Jim Harbaugh will have enough answers to slow down his college QB and beat a tired Vikings team. Record: 6-1

Week 9: Vikings at Lions

Detroit will be coming off a bye and the Vikings will have the mini bye effect in play. I like the Lions at home, and they will have already been tested by the likes of the Packers, Bears, Ravens, Bengals, Chiefs and Bucs before this game. The Lions could be feeling the pressure to catch up to the Vikings by this point, and they have the personnel to respond accordingly. Record: 6-2

Week 10: Vikings vs. Ravens

Are the Ravens going to have a bit of a down season? They'll go as far as Lamar Jackson takes them, but Derrick Henry is a year older and the receiver room is also a bit older with DeAndre Hopkins and Mark Andrews. Can Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman step up to the plate? I like the Vikings in this one. Record: 7-2

Week 11: Vikings vs. Bears

I anticipate the Bears will be better at this point in the season than they are in Week 1, but that's not going to be good enough to come into U.S. Bank Stadium and beat a Vikings team that will be considered among the best in the NFL by Week 11. Record: 8-2

Week 12: Vikings at Packers

Playing the Packers at Lambeau Field in late November could come with some wintry challenges, but it's still not deep enough in the cold season to truly bring anything like "frozen tundra" into play. The Packers will need big performances from Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden, but more concerning for Green Bay is how the cornerbacks are going to handle Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Jalen Nailor, Rondale Moore and Tai Felton. Good luck with that, Green Bay. Record: 9-2

Week 13: Vikings at Seahawks

Minnesota and the rest of the NFL learned last year that's Seattle's longstanding home-field dominance is a thing of the past. That'll be the case again this time as Brian Flores and Minnesota's defense will know every possible way to bother Sam Darnold. As good as Darnold was for the Vikings, I think he'll be seeing ghosts in Week 13. Record: 10-2

Week 14: Vikings vs. Commanders

This could be an NFC title game preview. Jayden Daniels appears to be the truth and the Commanders are loaded with weapons, including the addition of Deebo Samuel to a skill group that already featured Terry McLaurin, Brian Robinson Jr., and Austin Ekeler. Dan Quinn is a great defensive coach, so this could be the most difficult home game the Vikings play all season. It may be a bad take to think the Vikings will lose at home, but Quinn could get to McCarthy with a great game plan and that could be the deciding factor. Record: 10-3

Week 15: Vikings at Cowboys

The Cowboys will get all of the hype, much like the Lakers did against the Timberwolves. But the Vikings are better than Dallas, just like the Timberwolves were better than the Lakers, and the result will be the same. Record: 11-3

Week 16: Vikings at Giants

The Giants could be starting Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston or Jaxson Dart and it won't matter against the Vikings, who will go into New York and crush the G-Men for a second season in a row. Record: 12-3

Week 17: Vikings vs. Lions

Playing on short rest after games 10 weeks in a row this late in the season is punishment enough, but having to play Detroit makes it an even more difficult challenge for the Vikings. That said, the Lions will be on the road and playing for a ninth straight week — and fresh off games against the Packers, Cowboys, Rams and Steelers. The Vikings aren't getting swept by Detroit, so chalk this up as a W. Record: 13-3

Week 18: Vikings vs. Packers

Minnesota could be resting starters at this point, but I'm not going to make a prediction based on that slim chance. In all likelihood, the Vikings will still be competing for the No. 1 seed, and a win could secure just that. The Packers, meanwhile, are likely going to be fighting for a wild-card spot. Give me the Vikings for the season sweep of their border rival. Record: 14-3

Conclusion

You think 14-3 is crazy? This team went 14-3 with Sam Darnold last season. The schedule is a bit tough on paper in 2025-26, but the weak spots on the roster have been addressed and the fact that Minnesota has been staunch in its belief in J.J. McCarthy is good reason to believe he'll live up to the hype. You don't pass on Aaron Rodgers unless you have a QB who you truly believe can take your team to the promised land. Kevin O'Connell won 13 games as a rookie head coach and then kept the Vikings alive with a smorgasbord of quarterbacks following Kirk Cousins' Achilles injury in 2023. Fourteen wins later with Darnold, there's just zero reason to think the Vikings won't put together an even better season under O'Connell in 2025-26.