Minnesota Vikings 2018 schedule: an early review
By Tyler Haag
The NFL released the 2018 schedule today and the Minnesota Vikings have a number of interesting games to look forward to.
The Minnesota Vikings now know exactly who and exactly where they will be playing their games in 2018, as the NFL released the 2018 schedule on Thursday. There are some interesting scenarios hiding within these scheduled games, as well as some tough road games.
The first thing that sticks out is the first game on the list, the season opener against Jimmy Garoppolo and the seemingly rejuvenated San Fransisco 49ers. Jimmy G gave a lot of people in the bay area hope when he went on his run late last season and if rumors are to be believed, he is also signifies the beginning of the end of the New England Super Bowl era (more on that later).
Garoppolo did look pretty impressive last season, going 5-0 in his five starts and throwing seven touchdowns in the process. However, with the Vikings, we are talking about a top five defense in nearly every significant category last season and they added Sheldon Richardson. After an entire offseason to study the tape on Garoppolo, there is a decent chance that Mike Zimmer may have some tricks up his sleeve for the 49ers week one.
The inevitable former QB games include Sam Bradford and Arizona, who will be in Minneapolis week six, and hopefully Teddy Bridgewater when the Vikings head to New Jersey to play the Jets.
As mentioned previously, the Jimmy Garoppolo fiasco might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back in New England…or they will just keep winning as they always have. Either way, the Vikings will be taking on Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the evil empire December 2nd in Foxboro.
Other seemingly tough road games on the Vikings schedule in 2018 include visiting the always loud and boisterous 12th man in Seattle, the possible powder keg that is the Los Angeles Rams and another visit to the Super Bowl champions in Philadelphia.
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It’s obviously too early to know what these active rosters will look like in October and November but between the schedule being released and the draft coming up next week, warmer weather and football can’t be far behind.