On Christmas, the Minnesota Vikings got the last laugh over the Detroit Lions. Max Brosmer only threw for 51 yards, but it didn’t matter because Brian Flores’ defense suffocated an injury-plagued Lions roster and eliminated them from the playoffs with a 23-10 victory.
The following week, the Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers for their fifth straight win to close the season. The victory made everyone’s high school versions of themselves feel proud, but it also left Minnesota with a much more difficult schedule heading into the 2026 season.
There’s a debate raging among Vikings fans as the NFL releases its schedule on Thursday night. Most Vikings fans don’t want to get to the Super Bowl the way the New England Patriots did, feasting on the NFC South and fired coaches before getting to the big game. They want to get there the hard way and face one of the toughest schedules the NFL has ever seen.
Like, say, this one.
Week 1 vs. Miami Dolphins
Starting with the Dolphins feels weak, since they are embarking on another five-year rebuild that new head coach Jeff Hafley will never see through. But this will be the highest Miami will be all season. Mix in the fact that the Dolphins are trying to build “Green Bay South” with new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, and this will be enough to get the blood of Vikings fans pumping in the opening week of the season.
Week 2 vs. Washington Commanders
Washington may be extra motivated after the Vikings shut them out last November and could look to get off to a fast start in 2026. The Commanders could also avenge their high school selves, which may still be reeling from that 31-0 loss. With extra motivation, the Vikings will face a stiff challenge and could induct Adrian Peterson into the Ring of Honor as a nod to his time with the opponent.
Week 3 vs. Atlanta Falcons (Thursday Night Football)
Week 3 would be a perfect game to have in the noon window on Sunday if Kirk Cousins were still with the Falcons. But he’s not, so a short week is necessary to ensure maximum difficulty. Mix in a Kevin Stefanski revenge game narrative, and this is an extremely difficult opponent on a short week.
Week 4 vs. Carolina Panthers
Vikings fans will be fired up for the Adam Thielen Bowl. With no Pittsburgh Steelers on the schedule, it’s a time to honor Thielen’s other team and a good litmus test against a division champion from last season. Evaluating Bryce Young as a best-case scenario for J.J. McCarthy could be a unique wrinkle. Still, the first three games should be enough to make the Vikings tough enough to come away with a victory.
Week 5 vs. Indianapolis Colts
In the latest revenge game on the schedule, the Vikings will host Daniel Jones in this matchup. It’s unclear who has the biggest case for revenge: Jones, who was told he would have to beat out McCarthy for the starting job before leaving for Indianapolis last offseason, or the Vikings, who had to start McCarthy after Jones left. Either way, both sides will be motivated to get a win here.
Week 6 vs. Chicago Bears
For some Vikings fans, this was the turning moment of the 2025 season. The Bears visited Minneapolis, and it had appeared that McCarthy had led the Vikings to a gritty, come-from-behind victory. But just as the celebration was on, Ivan Pace wandered out of his coverage lane, and a long Bears return set up a stunning 19-17 defeat.
Had they covered the kickoff properly, some may have believed that the Vikings could have gotten into the playoffs and made some noise. The next best thing is to put Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, and the rest of the Monsters of the Midway in their place in a midseason matchup.
Week 7 vs. Detroit Lions
The Lions game at U.S. Bank Stadium may as well be called the Brosmer Bowl after he used a paint-by-numbers offense to defeat the Lions last Christmas. Detroit may be racing toward the top of this division with the league’s easiest schedule. But clearly they will be frauds and bow to the mercy of the ear-splitting ovation when Brosmer, likely to be leading the practice squad, is shown on the sideline.
Week 8 vs. Green Bay Packers
The time has come. The moment Vikings fans have been waiting for, the Packers come to Minneapolis. Sure, they could come to town in Week 1 when Micah Parsons and Tucker Kraft could still be recovering from torn ACLs. But the Vikings need to play them at their best, so Kelvin from accounting, who is a proud citizen of Manitowoc, can’t use that as an excuse.
Even if the Vikings are 0-7 at this point, this game means more, and the Packers clearly won’t know what hit them.
Week 9 vs. Buffalo Bills
The Bills will be a tough opponent regardless of record as Josh Allen returns to Minnesota for the first time since hurdling Anthony Barr in 2018. But this will require an exceptionally gritty effort coming off the emotional toll of playing the Packers the week before.
Week 10 at Saints (in Paris, France)
In a rumored international matchup that could be announced on Wednesday, the Vikings will play another international game against the Saints, following their matchup in London in 2022.
Travel is one thing. Reminding Jordan Addison of international traffic laws and curfew times is another. Either way, these aren’t Sean Payton’s Bountygate Saints, but could still put up a fight with magnificent scheme guru Kellen Moore at their side.
Week 11 Bye
After battling through 10 grueling weeks and nine home games, the Vikings will rest after flying back to the United States. But they’ll be so calloused at this point, they should call the Packers and challenge them to an impromptu game to see if they’ll be tough enough to accept.
Week 12 at Detroit Lions
Battling the Lions a little earlier than anticipated would be a challenge, but it would also be the Vikings’ last indoor game of the season. Dan Campbell will have enough testosterone and caffeine running through his veins to turn him into football’s version of “Macho Man” Randy Savage, and the Vikings will have to earn the right to play indoors again with their final six games in the elements.
Week 13 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Going to Tampa Bay at the end of November sounds like a lay-up in the schedule. But it’s also Florida, where a severe downpour could strike at any moment. Rain, mud, and lightning have to fill this matchup with the Bucs and Baker Mayfield, who could literally be thinking about his next game against Stefanski, could be looking to light up the skies in his own way with 400 yards passing.
Week 14 at San Francisco 49ers
There are signs that this game could be easy. After running the 49ers for months and blaming multiple muscle pulls and torn Achilles tendons on an electrical substation and his flat-brimmed hat, Kyle Shanahan may be facing a full-blown mutiny. But the Vikings have to play near the substation as well, and it’s on them to show the toughness to pull this one out.
Week 15 at New York Jets
The Jets aren’t intimidating wherever they are on the schedule. But playing this game in December, they get to play in the elements. As the second coming of Bud Grant, O’Connell may refuse to bring the team’s heated benches with them to New York, giving his team frostbite and a feeling that they really didn’t need that pinky toe anyway.
Week 16 at New England Patriots
Mike Vrabel may not even be with the team at this point, but it’s going to be cold. Also, O’Connell may look at Drake Maye the same way that he looks at a double-reverse pass on a third-and-short. It will be on Kyler Murray or McCarthy to win, with O’Connell’s eyes locked on the Patriots’ sideline and a difficult matchup against an AFC regression candidate.
Week 17 at Chicago Bears
Johnson may be on the other sideline thinking he’s better than you. Williams could take another leap in his third year as a starter. Dillon Thieneman could be looking to show he really is the next Harrison Smith, and the wind chill is about 10 below. What are the Vikings going to do about it?
Week 18 at Green Bay Packers
After all of that, here comes the final boss. Sure, you want this game at home. But heading to Lambeau Field with an even colder windchill and about 25 inches of snow is the ultimate litmus test. Other teams have their cushy dome schedules and banged-up opponents, but this game just means more.
Because of this, the Vikings will come out on top. The Packers wouldn’t dare take on a schedule like this because they can’t handle the burden. As a result, the Vikings will likely come away with 10 wins, and that toughness will come in handy when they go on the road in the playoffs.
But even if they lost that game, they can still hang their hats on going blow-for-blow with the Packers in the elements and completing the toughest schedule the NFL has ever seen.
