2 critical stretches in Minnesota Vikings’ 2026 schedule are critical to make the playoffs
The Minnesota Vikings’ 2026 schedule has two difficult stretches they must navigate to make the playoffs.
The Minnesota Vikings have dropped their 2026 schedule, and there are some really intriguing elements.
This year, the Vikings have nine home games and seven true road games. The eighth road game is the fifth international game of Kevin O’Connell‘s tenure, but this time it’s in Mexico and not Europe. It’s one of the few intriguing elements to the schedule. The biggest ones are two-fold, and they are both going to be really important in returning to the playoffs.
Minnesota Vikings have two crititcal stretches
Two years ago, the Vikings had a brutal start to the season, where the first five games were a massive gauntlet. The hope was they could win three of those games, but Sam Darnold led them to a 5-0 start heading into the bye week.
This year, the first five games aren’t nearly as daunting. It’s focused on the first two games against the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. The real gauntlet of the Vikings’ schedule starts in Week 8.
Weeks 8-11 are a brutal stretch with the Vikings playing four games against playoff teams.
- Week 8: 11/1 @ Detroit Lions 12:00 P.M.
- Week 9: 11/9 vs. Buffalo Bills (Monday night) 7:15 P.M.
- Week 10: 11/15 @ Green Bay Packers 12:00 P.M.
- Week 11: 11/22 @ San Francisco 49ers (Sunday Night in Mexico City) 7:20 P.M.
This will help determine if the Vikings are going to be a contender or a pretender, especially with two of them being in primetime. Last year, the Vikings played the Lions in a stand alone game on Christmas Day, beating them by two scores, 23-10.
While this stretch will determine their ceiling, the floor of the Vikings will come in the following seven games. They finish the season with five of their final seven game at home. The two road games could cause problems, as their Thursday night matchup with the New England Patriots and Sunday afternoon matchup with the New York Jets.
Why are those games worth keeping an eye on? They are both cold-weather games. That adds a variable to O’Connell’s pass-happy offense that won’t help them.
Even though these two stretches are technically one big stretch, it’s the final five games of the second stretch where things can get interesting.
- Week 14: 12/10 @ New England Patriots (Thursday night) 7:15 P.M.
- Week 15: 12/20 vs. Detroit Lions (Sunday night) 7:20 P.M.
- Week 16: 12/27 vs. Washington Commanders TBD
- Week 17: 1/3 @ New York Jets 12:00 P.M.
- Week 18: 1/10 vs. Chicago Bears TBD
Finishing strong here will be crucial for the Vikings to make the playoffs. Every game is critical, but these two stretches will prove to be the difference maker on how the Vikings will be viewed.