With the regular-season standings locked in place after 17 weeks of action, the Minnesota Vikings now know every team they will play in the 2020 regular season.
Specific dates and kickoff times won’t be announced until the offseason, but the eight home opponents and eight road opponents are set.
Home: Packers, Bears, Lions, Falcons, Panthers, Cowboys, Jaguars, Titans
Road: Packers, Bears, Lions, Saints, Buccaneers, Texans, Colts, Seahawks
That’s just six games in 2020 against teams that reached the playoffs this season: Packers twice, Titans, Saints, Texans, Seahawks
Minnesota, because they finished second in the NFC North, gets to face the second-place teams from the NFC East (Cowboys) and the NFC West (Seahawks). Because the Packers won the North, they have to take on this year’s division champs out of the East and West, so they will host the Eagles and play at the 49ers next season.
While some of the game’s top quarterbacks will present challenges (Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Dak Prescott, Drew Brees, DeShaun Watson, Russell Wilson), the Vikings will face a boatload of high-end running backs, including Aaron Jones, Kerryon Johnson, Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliot, Derrick Henry, Alvin Kamara, Marlon Mack and Chris Carson.
