Minnesota Vikings 2022 Schedule

After all these years, I’m still amazed that the NFL makes the release of the schedule an event, a prime time televised event. We’ve known all of the matchups since the end of the previous season. It’s only the “when” that’s an unknown. The NFL makes the “when” a prime time televised event. Actually, it’s a week of big-game releases leading up to a prime time televised event. Despite the annual fact that the entire schedule gets leaked before the event even airs. The NFL will always celebrate the NFL. Anyway, we now have the 2022 schedule of the Minnesota Vikings. That’s all we wanted. That’s all we needed. 

2022 Minnesota Vikings Schedule

Week	Day	Date	Opponent	Time (PT)
1	Sunday	Sept. 11	Green Bay Packers	1:25 PM
2	Monday	Sept. 19	@ Philadelphia Eagles	5:30 PM
3	Sunday	Sept. 25	Detroit Lions	10:00 AM
4	Sunday	Oct. 2	@ New Orleans (London)	6:30 AM
5	Sunday	Oct. 9	Chicago Bears	10:00 AM
6	Sunday	Oct. 16	@ Miami Dolphins	10:00 AM
7	Sunday	Oct. 23	BYE
8	Sunday	Oct. 30	Arizona Cardinals	10:00 AM
9	Sunday	Nov. 6	@ Washington Commanders	10:00 AM
10	Sunday	Nov. 13	@ Buffalo Bills	10:00 AM
11	Sunday	Nov. 20	Dallas Cowboys	1:25 PM
12	Thursday	Nov. 24	New England Patriots	5:20 PM
13	Sunday	Dec. 4	New York Jets	10:00 AM
14	Sunday	Dec. 11	@ Detroit Lions	10:00 AM
15	Sat/Sun	Dec. 17/18	Indianapolis Colts	TBD
16	Saturday	Dec. 24	New York Giants	10:00 AM
17	Sunday	Jan. 1	@ Green Bay Packers	1:25 PM
18	Sat/Sun	Jan. 7/8	@ Chicago Bears	TBD

The Good:

-Starting at home against the Green Bay Packers. It’s always fun to start a season with a bang.

-Only two back-to-back road games.

-Thanksgiving at home! Since the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have been the traditional hosts of Thanksgiving games, the Vikings have never hosted one. They will this season. 

-Home games on either side of the home Thanksgiving game. Short weeks always suck. It’s nice to not have travel a part of it. 

-Nine home games!

The Bad: 

-A London game. No offense to the ecstatic UK Vikings fans but traveling to London for a game can be rough. An NFL season turns into a routine. These extended trips and accommodations are outside that routine. It can be disruptive. And a 6:30 start is a too damn early start to this west coast Vikings fan.

-@ Green Bay and @ Chicago to end the season. 

In my opinion, the only things that make an NFL schedule a shit schedule is a too early bye and extended road trips. The Vikings have neither with this schedule. A later bye would be better but Week 7 isn’t bad. I’d prefer that the Vikings not have a London game but it probably isn’t that big of a deal for the players and coaches that are making the trip. At least the New Orleans Saints are the “home” team so the Vikings aren’t losing a home game. 

The Vikings chose not to have their bye following the London game. Apparently, in the history of regular season London games only five teams have chosen not to have their bye during the week following the trip. The Vikings wisely decided that in a 17+-week season, Week 5 is too early for the bye. 

From Week 11 - Week 16, the Vikings play five home games in six weeks. With that sort of home stretch, it’s a little surprising that they only have two back-to-back road games. Those two back-back-back road games are separated by that six-week mostly home stretch. 

Last year, the Vikings made several trips west. They had a four-week stretch during which they traveled to Baltimore, to Los Angeles, and to San Francisco. That’s probably more rough than one trip to London. Even though I was able to attend the two West Coast games, last year’s schedule was a shit schedule. This year, their western-most games are their nine home games. That happens when a team is paired with the East teams of each conference. 

The only real grumble that I have with this schedule is ending the season on the road in Green Bay and in Chicago. Even that doesn’t seem that bad. The bye might’ve been better in Week 9 before the back half of the season heats up against the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, and New England Patriots. With that Week 4 London trip, maybe a Week 7 bye is for the best. Most things considered, the Minnesota Vikings 2022 Schedule is a fine schedule.