The 2016 NFL schedules were released on Thursday. A Super Bowl rematch of the Carolina Panthers at Denver Broncos kicks off the season. But no one cares about that. Here's a look at the Minnesota Vikings first season in the sparkling, new US Bank Stadium.
Week 1: Sunday Sept 11-@Tennessee Titans
Week 2: Sunday Sept 18-Green Bay Packers-Sunday Night Football
Week 3: Sunday Sept 25-@Carolina Panthers
Week 4: Monday Oct 3-New York Giants-Monday Night Football
Week 5: Sunday Oct 9-Houston Texans
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: Sunday Oct 23-@Philadelphia Eagles
Week 8: Monday Oct 31-@Chicago Bears-Monday Night Football
Week 9: Sunday Nov 6-Detroit Lions
Week 10: Sunday Nov 13-@Washington Redskins
Week 11: Sunday Nov 20-Arizona Cardinals
Week 12: Thursday Nov 24-@Detroit Lions-Thanksgiving
Week 13: Thursday Dec 1-Dallas Cowboys-Thursday Night Football
Week 14: Sunday Dec 11-@Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 15: Sunday Dec 18-Indianapolis Colts
Week 16: Saturday Dec 24-@Green Bay Packers
Week 17: Sunday Jan 1-Chicago Bears
This should be an exciting year for the Minnesota Vikings. Coming off of a NFC North title they are a young team on the rise. They are also playing in a new home. They will host division rival, and previously annual division champ Green Bay Packers in the first regular season game at US Bank Stadium in Week 2.
The Vikings haven't made many national appearances in recent years. That's about to change as it looks like the league sees them as a marquee team this year. The Vikings will play in four prime time games this year. Three of them at home. The fourth will be in Chicago on Halloween Night. The Vikings will play a fifth nationally televised game when they travel to Detroit on Thanksgiving.
This is a favorable schedule. After crisscrossing the country last year with three west coast trips the Vikings will stay much closer to home this year. The closest that they get to the west coast is their home games. They are paired with the AFC South and NFC East. Both divisions needed late season surges to boost a team over .500 last year. A lot can change in an offseason but those two division aren't considered among the strongest in the league. But every game in the NFL is a challenge. A bye week close to the midpoint of the season is preferred so week 6 isn't bad. They play two consecutive home games before that bye week. They have two consecutive road games after the bye week. Other than those games the home and away games alternate throughout the schedule. In recent years the Vikings have had both games with division rival Packers and/or Bears jammed into the second half of the season. This year those games are spread out a little better. The only complaint would be the Thanksgiving morning game at Detroit following a likely rough Sunday game against the Arizona Cardinals. At least the Cardinals game is at home and the trip to Detroit isn't a long one. It's a fine schedule.
The schedule release is another step closer to another NFL season. Next step: the draft.
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