Early Game-By-Game Record Prediction for the 2020 Vikings

After the release of the Vikings' regular season schedule, let's go through and make some early win-loss predictions.

There hasn't been an American sporting event in roughly two months, which has left a nation of fans starving for things to watch, discuss, and debate. Luckily, the NFL has filled that void by sticking to its regularly-scheduled offseason programming, albeit with modifications to make everything virtual and safe. The draft was bigger than ever and dominated the sports calendar not just for three days in late April, but for weeks beforehand and afterwards. 

Then, as post-draft coverage was dying down, the league released the schedule for a 2020 season that remains clouded in uncertainty. And while we may not know whether these games will take place as planned or with spectators present, the schedule still gives us something to talk about and analyze. Maybe more importantly, it gives us something to look forward to as we hope for better days ahead and a return to normalcy.

Ready for 2020.#Skol pic.twitter.com/ag6pjE5meN

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) May 7, 2020

We already ranked all 16 of the Vikings' games from easiest to toughest. Now, let's go through each game from Week 1 to Week 17 and make some predictions.

This should be fun. Let's get to it.

Week 1: Vikings 27, Packers 24 

Assuming sports are a go by September, this is going to be an amazing way to kick off the 2020 season. Let's hope fans are allowed to fill U.S. Bank Stadium, because I can only imagine what the atmosphere will be like. In the first ever Week 1 meeting between these teams in Minnesota, the Vikings emerge victorious in a thrilling back-and-forth affair. Danielle Hunter moves around the formation and beats both David Bakhtiari and Rick Wagner for sacks, finishing with 2.5 on the day. Sporting a new contract extension, Dalvin Cook goes over 150 yards from scrimmage and scores two touchdowns. Dan Bailey drills the game-winner from 45 yards as time expires.

Record: 1-0

Week 2: Vikings 31, Colts 16

The Colts have an excellent offensive line, a two-pronged rushing attack with Jonathan Taylor and Marlon Mack, and a solid defense. And yet, I don't know if Philip Rivers – at this stage of his career – is an upgrade over what Jacoby Brissett brought to the table last season. Rivers threw three interceptions against the Vikings last Week 15 as a member of the Chargers, and he throws three more in this game, including a pick-six to Mike Hughes. Kirk Cousins finds Adam Thielen for two touchdowns and Irv Smith Jr. for one as the Vikings secure a fairly easy road victory.

Record: 2-0

Week 3: Titans 20, Vikings 13

The Titans took plenty of people by surprise when they knocked off the Patriots and Ravens in a run to the AFC title game, but those who watched them down the stretch of the regular season knew how much talent that team had. They come into Minneapolis in Week 3 and get the win in a tough, physical game. Derrick Henry grinds out 140 yards on the ground and A.J. Brown gives Jeff Gladney a couple "welcome to the NFL" moments.

Record: 2-1

Week 4: Vikings 34, Texans 23

The Vikings bounce back from a tough home loss by picking up their second road win of the season and moving to 2-1 against the AFC South. With no Deandre Hopkins, Deshaun Watson is forced to rely on Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb, which would've worked out better in 2015 than it does in 2020. Ifeadi Odenigbo has a big game against right tackle Tytus Howard, beating him for a crucial strip-sack in the second half. The Vikings' offense has little trouble against the Texans' defense, with Justin Jefferson recording 125 yards and a touchdown for the first big game of his NFL career.

Record: 3-1

Week 5: Seahawks 24, Vikings 9

For the third straight year, the Vikings head to Seattle for a primetime game. For the third straight year, they leave disappointed, and this game looks a lot more like the 2018 edition than last year's high-scoring affair. Kirk Cousins struggles in the rainy conditions and Dalvin Cook loses a fumble in the red zone during a frustrating evening for the Vikings' offense. Russell Wilson's brilliance remains on full display, as he throws two TD passes and runs for a third. The Vikings try to match size with size by putting Holton Hill on DK Metcalf. It's a matchup that doesn't go particularly well for Hill.

Record: 3-2

Week 6: Vikings 30, Falcons 28

The Vikings only needed ten pass attempts to dominate the Falcons in last year's opener. It's not that easy this time around, but they find a way to avoid a second straight home loss. Cook has another big game as the Vikings exclusively run outside zone to get away from Grady Jarrett, who Garrett Bradbury would prefer to never line up against for the rest of his career. A monster performance from Julio Jones isn't quite enough because Anthony Harris picks off Matt Ryan for the third time in two games during the Falcons' last drive. This is a huge win for Mike Zimmer's team, which didn't want to enter the bye week at 3-3.

Record: 4-2

Week 7: BYE

Week 8: Packers 26, Vikings 17

Outside of the 2017 season when Aaron Rodgers left the first game with an injury and missed the second, the Vikings haven't swept the Packers since 2009. That doesn't change this year. Cousins is under constant pressure from Za'Darius Smith, to the point where the Vikings bench Riley Reiff and bring in rookie Ezra Cleveland at left tackle. Mason Crosby continues his streak of never seeming to miss against Minnesota, drilling four field goals, and Rodgers shakes off a slow start to the season with a highly efficient performance.

Record: 4-3

Week 9: Vikings 42, Lions 10

The Vikings flex their muscles with a blowout victory for the first time this season, putting the Lions through a long afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium. Both Cook and Alexander Mattison go over 100 yards rushing and Smith continues a breakout season by catching two touchdown passes. Hunter, Odenigbo, and Hercules Mata'afa are all over Matthew Stafford, who is sacked eight times and is under constant pressure. To put the icing on the cake, K.J. Osborn returns a punt for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Record: 5-3

Week 10: Bears 20, Vikings 17

Soldier Field remains a house of horrors for the Vikings, who fall on Monday Night Football for their second primetime loss of the season. It's a defensive battle, but Nick Foles makes more plays than Cousins, hooking up with Allen Robinson and Cole Kmet for touchdowns. With the Vikings driving late in pursuit of a score to tie the game or give them the lead, Cousins is sacked by Khalil Mack on third down and Robert Quinn on fourth down. Cleveland had been impressive since taking over for Reiff two weeks ago, but this is a game he'd like to forget. 

Record: 5-4

Week 11: Cowboys 35, Vikings 28

A thrilling late afternoon matchup only results in another heartbreaking loss for the Vikings, who fall at home for the second time this season and are reeling after losing three of four coming out of their bye week. Dak Prescott lights up the Vikings' young cornerbacks for four touchdowns, two of which go to rookie CeeDee Lamb. Cousins also plays at a high level, connecting with Thielen and Jefferson for over 130 yards each, but the Cowboys ultimately get revenge for last year's loss in Dallas. The Vikings are in danger of letting the season get away from them. Some fans are calling for the team to fire both Zimmer and Rick Spielman.

Record: 5-5

Week 12: Vikings 31, Panthers 13

The Vikings desperately need to get some momentum going, and they succeed by taking care of business against the rebuilding Panthers in Minneapolis. Teddy Bridgewater gets a massive ovation from the home crowd and then proceeds to turn the ball over three times in a dismal performance. Gladney snags an interception and forces a fumble, while Eric Kendricks helps hold Christian McCaffrey to a season-low 87 yards from scrimmage. Cook wins the battle of marquee running backs by gashing the Panthers' poor run defense for big play after big play. The Vikings are feeling pretty good about the extension they worked out with their star tailback before the season.

Record: 6-5

Week 13: Vikings 27, Jaguars 3

Playing their third consecutive game at home, the Vikings roll to a victory over the outmatched Jaguars. The offense comes in the form of touchdowns by Mattison, Kyle Rudolph, and Tajae Sharpe, and the defense is menacing. Harrison Smith and Hughes intercept Gardner Minshew, who is really struggling in his second season. With Michael Pierce clogging the middle, the Jaguars are unable to get anything going on the ground. They fall to 2-10 on the season and are beginning to set their sights on Trevor Lawrence.

Record: 7-5

Week 14: Vikings 22, Buccaneers 20

There's a lot of buzz for this game between the 7-5 Vikings and 9-3 Bucs in Tampa; the two teams are in tight division races against the Packers and Saints, respectively. Early on, Anthony Barr sacks Tom Brady in the end zone for a safety, and Cousins finds Thielen for a score on the ensuing possession as the Vikings take a 9-0 lead. The Bucs battle back, with Brady hooking up with Mike Evans and Tyler Johnson for touchdowns to give Tampa the halftime lead. They go back and forth in the second half, but the Vikings land the final blow with a game-winning field goal from Bailey. It's a major upset and the Vikings' most impressive win since Week 1.

Record: 8-5

Week 15: Vikings 17, Bears 7

The Vikings are rolling now, finishing off their fourth straight victory and dealing a massive blow to the Bears' wild card hopes. It's an ugly win, but it's a win nonetheless, and it snaps a five-game losing streak against Chicago. Neither offense is able to get much going, and the Vikings are holding onto a 10-7 lead in the fourth quarter when Cook takes a screen pass 63 yards to the house. With Foles being intercepted twice by Harris, it's becoming clear that the Bears – who have also given Mitch Trubisky chances this season – need to draft a quarterback in April.

Record: 9-5

Week 16: Saints 38, Vikings 21

An opportunity to clinch a playoff berth escapes the Vikings, who don't have a very merry Christmas in New Orleans. The Saints get revenge for last year's wild card game in front of a national audience, which has now seen the Vikings go 0-3 in primetime games. The Vikings' young corners have had some good days this season and they've had some bad ones. This falls in the latter category. Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are too much for Hughes and Gladney, as Drew Brees throws more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (four). Jefferson has a strong game in his home state and has an outside shot at offensive rookie of the year, but the Vikings' offense stalls too many times.

Record: 9-6

Week 17: Vikings 24, Lions 17

The Vikings head to Detroit to close out the regular season with everything on the line. They're tied with the Packers atop the NFC North at 9-6, but they know they'll win a tiebreaker based on their record against common opponents (both teams are 3-2 in the division and the Packers are in Chicago this week). If the Vikings lose and the Packers win, the Vikings would need multiple other teams to lose in order for them to sneak into the playoffs as the No. 7 seed. The Lions are fired up to try to play spoiler, especially after losing by 32 in Minneapolis earlier in the year. It's a much closer game than the Vikings were hoping, causing a great deal of stress for their fans across the country. With the score knotted at 17-17 late in the fourth, Cousins finds Rudolph in the back of the end zone for a one-handed touchdown grab, and the defense holds on to seal the Vikings' first division title in three years. Cousins busts out a "you like that?" in the visiting locker room after the game.

Final record: 10-6

It's another year with a 10-6 record, but this time it gets the job done in the NFC North: the Vikings have secured the No. 4 seed and a home playoff game. They face the upstart Cardinals in the wild card round, as MVP candidate Kyler Murray led Arizona from last place in 2019 to the No. 5 seed this year. The Vikings win that game by two touchdowns, setting up yet another Saints-Vikings playoff game. They win it on a last-second touchdown and advance to the NFC Championship game against the Cowboys, which they lose in heartbreaking fashion.

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