Oct 6, 2019; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports.
For some reason this year, the NFL decided to turn the 2022 NFL schedule release into a week-long spectacle.
Before this style, the NFL would simply release the schedule in one shebang, but now the unveiling spans days. It began with an announcement of the International Series, in which the Minnesota Vikings will partake, traveling to London for an October 2nd date with the New Orleans Saints.
While that matchup is confirmed, another theory is emerging related to the Vikings — a possible week one date at U.S. Bank Stadium with the New York Giants.
Indeed, this is a rumor, but VikingsTerritory dug into it on Friday, determining that it has some credibility. Plus, the Vikings started the 2021 season with back-to-back road games, so kicking off at home this September checks out.
The Giants will be led by quarterback Daniel Jones in 2022, a true make-or-break campaign for the fourth-year starter. New York also hired a new head coach, Brian Daboll, a man initially coveted by many Vikings fans when the organization fired Mike Zimmer in January.
A former Vikings coach also found his way to New Jersey, as former co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson joined the Giants as a defensive line coach. With the Giants, Patterson will cultivate EDGE rushers like Kayvon Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence, and Leonard Williams. His track record in Minnesota was remarkable, credited with developing Everson Griffen, Danielle Hunter, and others.
The Vikings have toppled the Giants three consecutive times (2015, 2016, and 2019) after dropping games to New York in 2010 and 2013 to start the decade. Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins has tremendous luck against NFC East teams, leading the Vikings to a 5-2 (.714) record against his old division mates since 2018.
The Vikings used to be dominant at U.S. Bank Stadium. During the first four years of its existence, Zimmer’s team was 24-9 (.727) in Minneapolis or second-best in the NFL from 2016 to 2019. Only the New England Patriots were better inside the timeframe. But starting with the 2020 season, Minnesota’s daunting homefield advantage vanished. In the last two seasons, the Vikings are 8-8 (.500) at home, ranking 17th in the NFL per win percentage.
If the Giants-in-Minneapolis rumor comes to fruition in Week 1, it will mark the fifth time in seven years that the Vikings kick off a regular season at home.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).