The Crystal Ball Says...

Thoughts on the 2025 Minnesota Vikings Schedule

In my inaugural article for the DN, I discussed reasons for optimism in 2025. The first was key free agency additions, particularly in the trenches. This builds on the greatest free agent class the team has ever had in 2024. The second was an unwavering faith that J.J. McCarthy is the real deal. Our Montana. Our Brady. Our Mahomes. Our Aaron Rodg…yeah, no. Sorry, no one with a measly Super Bowl victory allowed, pal. If that were the case, I’d go with Brad Johnson. He not only has a championship ring, but was the 1st player in NFL history to complete a touchdown pass to himself. Well, if you don’t count Mr. Perfect (Steve Jordan sighting!). So, by any objective measure, Brad Johnson > that former Packers QB. But I digress.

The final reason is the history of coaches in their 4th year; it’s the sweet spot for a successful season. The cumulative record of current head coaches in their 4th campaign is impressive (99-47). Given the circumstances above, I see no reason Kevin O’Connell isn’t poised to add favorably to this trend.

A cursory glimpse at our 2025 opponents without knowing the schedule landed me at 11-6 for the year.

The following reasoning guided that prediction:

1. Chicago takes a step forward under Ben Johnson.
2. Detroit takes a step back without Ben Johnson (and Aaron Glenn).
3. Green Bay stays about the same.
4. The remaining NFC slate is top-heavy but manageable.
5. The AFC opponents will be as challenging as they look on paper.

Our slate is tied for the 5th toughest in 2025, with a combined opponents’ winning percentage of .557 last year. Take that for what you will. I did bake it into the equation, as I couldn’t convince myself that swapping the AFC North for the putrid AFC South, and the NFC East for the NFC West, would result in an easier ride. I tried, believe me. Fantasy comes easy for Vikings fans.

Quick thoughts:

1. I have no issues with overseas contests if they’re away games. Sure, the travelling sucks, but the other team must deal with that too. More importantly, the opponents’ home-field advantage is neutralized.
2. I’m lovin’ that 3 of the 5 AFC games will occur by Week 5. Every game is important, but those do mean less in terms of tiebreakers in what will be a highly competitive NFC playoff picture. This will afford us time to iron out some kinks, especially on defense, before we get to the heart of the divisional/NFC lineup.
3. We’d better get it together early on, because the middle of the schedule is brutal. Weeks 7-12 will see us play teams with a combined record of 68-34(!) in 2024. If you remove the Chicago Bears, whom I expect to be improved and in the Wild Card mix, the record was 63-22(!!).
4. Due to pre-determined schedule formula quirks, we benefit tremendously from having many of our...