Ranking Every Game on the Vikings' 2021 Schedule By Entertainment Value
The 2021 NFL schedule was released last week, and with it came the excitement of looking past the long summer ahead to each team's slate of games this fall. No matter how good your favorite team is realistically projected to be, this part of the offseason is a time for optimism for fans.
The Minnesota Vikings are a great example of that. Although there are reasons to be skeptical about a 7-9 team making major leaps in 2021, there are also legitimate reasons to be hopeful. The Vikings should have their vaunted home field advantage back with fans returning to U.S. Bank Stadium, the defense has the potential to be vastly improved, and the team's skill position weapons might finally have an offensive line to work with.
Read: Four Takeaways From the Minnesota Vikings' 2021 Regular Season Schedule
So, as we gaze ahead to this fall, let's take another look at the schedule by rankings all 17 games in order of watchability and entertainment value. There will be no specific formula or anything used here, but these are the factors I'll be weighing:
- Competitiveness (how likely is the game to come down to the wire?)
- History and stakes (extra points for rivalry games and others with recent history)
- Excitement and matchups (how fun to watch are the opponents' star players?)
Let's get to it. Projected lines are via The Action Network.
1. Vikings at Packers, Week 17 (SNF)
Way-too-early projected line: Packers -6.5
Admittedly, there is a lot of forecasting that goes into this one, and thus there are a few reasons why it might not live up to the top spot on this list. But if there's a lot on the line for this game like I expect there will be, whether Aaron Rodgers is still the Packers' quarterback or not (but especially if he is), it'll be as exciting as it gets. A primetime game in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field during the season's penultimate week between two heated division rivals? Say no more.
2. Vikings vs. Seahawks, Week 3
Way-too-early projected line: Pick 'em
For the first time in what feels like forever, the Seahawks will come to Minnesota this year. The Vikings have lost primetime games in Seattle in each of the past three years, and prior to that they lost twice in the span of a month at TCF Bank Stadium in 2015/16 (including a certain playoff game that we don't need to discuss). It's the home opener, and hopefully a packed stadium will be allowed to watch the Vikings look to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Seahawks in Russell Wilson's first-ever game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
3. Vikings vs. Cowboys, Week 8 (SNF)
Way-too-early projected line: Vikings -1.5
With both teams having their byes prior to this game, there will be no shortage of anticipation and buzz for this one, especially if both squads are off to strong starts. It's the first primetime game of the year for the Vikings and it happens to fall on Halloween night. The home crowd should be electric for this one as Minnesota looks to take down Dak Prescott and the rest of "America's Team."
4. Vikings at Ravens, Week 9
Way-too-early projected line: Ravens -6.5
One week after the Cowboys game, the Vikings head east to take on Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in another big-time matchup. It'll be Mike Zimmer's first time trying to contain the 2019 MVP, who finally got a weapons upgrade this offseason with the additions of Sammy Watkins and former Gophers star Rashod Bateman. This will also be the Vikings' first trip to Baltimore since that absurd ending in the snow eight years ago.
5. Vikings vs. Packers, Week 11
Way-too-early projected line: Packers -2.5
Most of what I said about the Vikings-Packers game at Lambeau is also true for this one, although the stakes might not be as intense and the spotlight will be a little less bright for a noon game. Still, it's the Vikings and Packers. It will have been nearly two full years since Vikings fans had a chance to boo their least favorite team at home. It's gotta be in the top five.
6. Vikings at Bears, Week 15 (MNF)
Way-too-early projected line: Vikings -1
Again, there's no way of knowing what the stakes will be for a game so late in the season. But I'd guess that there's a good chance the Vikings will head to Soldier Field for this one with a lot on the line. That's rarely been good news for a Minnesota team that is 5-16 in Chicago since 2000. This should be the Vikings' first look at Justin Fields in a Bears uniform, which adds to the fun.
7. Vikings vs. Browns, Week 4
Way-too-early projected line: Pick 'em
Do I have this one too low? The second home game of the year features Kevin Stefanski coming back to Minnesota with a Browns team that might actually be a dark horse Super Bowl contender this year. There are no glaring weaknesses on Cleveland's roster, meaning it'll come down to how far Baker Mayfield can take them. This should be a really good game, and there could be some early desperation kicking in if either team has gotten off to a slow start.
8. Vikings vs. Rams, Week 16
Way-too-early projected line: Pick 'em
The last time we saw Zimmer face off with Sean McVay, it was a back-and-forth spectacle that the Rams won 38-31 in 2018. You can bet Zim has been waiting for the opportunity to go against the LA offense again after his defense was lit up for over 500 yards that evening. Adding Matthew Stafford and his history against the Vikings to the equation should make this even more fun, and the stakes could be sky-high as well.
9. Vikings at Bengals, Week 1
Way-too-early projected line: Vikings -2
The season opener can't be too far down this list because of how inherently exciting it is, regardless of opponent. Everyone wants to get off on the right foot by starting 1-0. And there are a bunch of interesting storylines in this one, including the battle of old LSU teammates, Mike Zimmer's return to Cincinnati, and "revenge games" for Riley Reiff, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander. This one will set the tone for the season.
10. Vikings vs. Steelers, Week 14 (TNF)
Way-too-early projected line: Vikings -1
A home primetime game against a team that started 11-0 last season sounds pretty intriguing, until you realize the Steelers fell apart after that and Thursday night games are often fairly ugly. Still, this could be a battle of top-ten defenses with some splashy pieces on offense. The big question is what Ben Roethlisberger will look like at this point of the season.
11. Vikings at 49ers, Week 12
Way-too-early projected line: 49ers -3.5
This is another game where the Vikings could get their first look at a rookie quarterback, this one being Minnesota native Trey Lance. Whether it's Lance or Jimmy Garoppolo, this rematch of the 2019 divisional playoffs should be an entertaining matchup. These are two of the NFC's most talented rosters on paper, although they both have plenty of questions to answer after disappointing 2020 campaigns.
12. Vikings at Cardinals, Week 2
Way-too-early projected line: Cardinals -1
You can make an argument that this should be higher because it's so early that both teams will still have a ton of hope, even if they start 0-1. I'm taking my chances on the Vikings being competitive, which is why I've ranked so many later games higher. But this one should be fun! Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins will provide some problems for Minnesota's defense, and the big story will be Patrick Peterson returning to the desert. Arizona has some interesting pieces (J.J. Watt, Budda Baker, Chandler Jones) on defense as well.
13. Vikings at Chargers, Week 10
Way-too-early projected line: Vikings -1.5
If 2019 is any indication, there should be a strong contingent of Vikings fans at SoFi Stadium for this one. Justin Jefferson trying to prove why he deserved last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year award instead of Justin Herbert will be entertaining, and this could be a sneaky fun game with some shootout potential. It's also worth mentioning that these two teams were historically bad on special teams last year, so things could get weird. The Chargers might be bad, which is why this game isn't higher on the list.
14. Vikings vs. Bears, Week 18
Way-too-early projected line: Vikings -5
If this game happens to have a division title or playoff berth riding on the outcome, it'll be one of the most dramatic of the season. But the more likely scenario is that one or both teams will have nothing to play for, whether that's due to having already secured a playoff spot or having already been eliminated. The chance for a win-and-in nail-biter keeps this game from being any lower than this.
15. Vikings at Lions, Week 13
Way-too-early projected line: Vikings -5
Sorry, Lions. There's just not a lot of excitement when these teams meet, particularly now that Stafford is in LA. I think Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell and Penei Sewell might be able to turn this franchise around, but it's going to take a while. The Vikings have won seven straight against the Lions and two-thirds of the games in the all-time series. Still, a trip to Detroit late in the year is a potential letdown spot against Jared Goff and company.
16. Vikings at Panthers, Week 6
Way-too-early projected line: Pick 'em
I have no idea who projected this game to be a pick 'em. The Panthers have some talented players (Christian McCaffrey, Brian Burns, etc) and nearly beat the Vikings last year, but they don't have a quarterback. Sam Darnold isn't the answer. This is going to be a really bad team in 2021, and I'd be surprised if this game was close, even on the road. If the Vikings are going to bounce back this year, this is the type of game they need to win handily.
17. Vikings vs. Lions, Week 5
Way-too-early projected line: Vikings -9
The Vikings need to take this one seriously of course, but this two-game stretch of the Lions and Panthers in Weeks 5 and 6 mostly just provides a chance to gain some momentum heading into the bye week. If Minnesota gets off to a 2-2 start, it needs to take advantage of this part of the schedule by winning both of these games.
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