Hogs Haven
The 5 o’clock club is published from time to time during the season, and aims to provide a forum for reader-driven discussion at a time of day when there isn’t much NFL news being published. Feel free to introduce topics that interest you in the comments below.
2026 opponent preview series: Wk 1 Eagles | Wk 2 Cowboys | Wk 3 Seahawks | Wk 4 Colts | Wk 5 Giants | Wk 6 49ers | Wk 9 Rams | Wk 11 Bengals | Wk 12 Cardinals | Wk 13 Titans | Wk 14 Texans | Wk 15 Falcons
In 2026, the Commanders will, like every other team in the NFL, play 17 games against 14 opponents. With the amount of roster change that NFL teams undergo annually along with the unusually large number of head coach and coordinator changes in 2026, it seems useful to spend some time to review each of Washington’s regular season opponents.
VIKINGS
The Commanders complete the trifecta of 2026 games played against teams whose head coaches were once offensive coordinators in Washington by taking on Kevin O’Connell after having gone head-to-head against Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers in Week 6 and Sean McVay’s Rams in Week 9.
Date: Date & Time TBD
Location: US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Vikings had a very successful regular season in 2024, winning 14 games behind Sam Darnold before ultimately losing to the Rams on the opening weekend of the playoffs. It may have been the failure in that playoff game that led to Darnold’s departure to the Seahawks, where he led his team to a Super Bowl championship in February.
The Vikings entered the 2025 season with sky-high expectations that did not come to fruition as the team stumbled to a 9-8 regular season 3rd place finish in the NFC North, missing the playoffs.
They now find themselves caught between two timelines: trying to win right now with veteran Kyler Murray, who has durability concerns, while simultaneously sheltering a young quarterback, JJ McCarthy, whose developmental timeline may have stalled.
The Commanders and Vikings will both enter the 2026 season with memories of magical 2024 seasons that ended in ultimate playoff disappointment followed by more or less forgettable 2025 seasons. The Commanders have re-tooled the coaching staff and are running it back with Jayden Daniels. The Vikings appear to be flailing about a bit at quarterback, but have stood firm with their coaching staff.
By the time the game is played in Week 16, all the questions about these two rosters and coaching staffs are likely to have been answered, but right now, in mid-July, those questions abound.
Will this be a matchup between two NFC powerhouses jockeying for better playoff seeding? Will it,...
