Vikings Announce 2016 Preseason Schedule

Vikings Announce 2016 Preseason Schedule
Image courtesy of Vikings.com

Minnesota Vikings fans are anxious for the return of football. After the way the 2015 season ended, it’s long past time to hit the “reset” button and begin again. While the preseason isn’t the official start of the 2016 campaign, it’s a chance to see Mike Zimmer’s team take the field for the first time in nearly eight months. And now, we know exactly who the Vikings will play when the preseason kicks off in August:

Preseason Week 1 (Aug. 12-14): @ Cincinnati Bengals
Preseason Week 2 (Aug. 19-21): @ Seattle Seahawks
Preseason Week 3 (Aug. 28): vs. San Diego Chargers
Preseason Week 4 (Sept. 1): vs. Los Angeles Rams

Last season, the Vikings played five preseason games, including the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Aside from the final tune-up against the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota won all of its exhibition games and set themselves up nicely for a strong regular season run.

This year, things are a little more exciting, as US Bank Stadium will make its national television debut in Week 3 of the preseason. The Vikings will spend their first two weeks on the road, first traveling to Cincinnati to take on Zimmer’s former team, the Bengals. Then, they’ll play the Seattle Seahawks, conjuring memories of Blair Walsh’s missed 27-yard field goal last postseason.

But it’s Week 3, often referred to as the regular season warmup, that should bring the most fanfare during the preseason. Not only will most of the Vikings starters see extended action during the game, but they’ll be doing so on the opening night (football-wise) of U.S. Bank Stadium. That game, a matchup with the San Diego Chargers, will begin at 12:00 pm CST on Sunday, August 28th in front of a national audience. To wrap things up, the Vikings will host the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, September 1st.

According to the team’s official site, specific dates and times for all games will be announced when finalized. However, all four games can be seen local on KMSP Fox 9 TV and heard on KFAN-FM 1003. and KTLK-AM 1130.

Football is back, even if the games don’t “matter” until September!

 

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