The 5 Best Games on Vikings 2023 Schedule
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings will play eight home games in 2023 and nine showdowns on the road. Schedule makers dropped the 17-game agenda for Minnesota and 31 other teams last week, with formal regular season festivities kicking off September 7th.
Minnesota will hope to repeat as NFC North champions for the first time in back-to-back seasons since 2008-2009.
The 5 Best Games on Vikings 2023 Schedule
At first glance, these are the five best games on the schedule for entertainment value, so get your red pens and highlighters out. They’re ranked in ascending order of excitement (No. 1 = most exciting).
5) at Philadelphia Eagles (Sep. 14)
The Vikings hope to stave off another mini-bloodbath at Lincoln Financial Field in September. Kevin O’Connell’s team lost 24-7 at the Eagles last September — also in Week 2 — and the game didn’t even feel that close.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia raced to Super Bowl LVII before falling short to the Kansas City Chiefs, but they’ll be damned if they didn’t make the game entertaining.
The Eagles underwent some offseason roster turnover but then scripted a draft that had many onlookers totally salivating — especially if one enjoys football players from the Georgia Bulldogs.
This game would’ve been higher on the list, but the Vikings chances of winning are small comparatively.
4) at Cincinnati Bengals (Dec. 16)
The Vikings played at Cincinnati just two years ago to start the 2021 season, encountering a game they should’ve won if not for a game-changing overtime fumble. That game occurred before anyone knew Cincinnati would be any good, and those same Bengals reached the Super Bowl two years ago and lost to the Los Angeles Rams.
Since the Vikings last played against Joe Burrow, he morphed into a household name and will begin nibbling at real MVP candidacy in 2023. Like the Eagles above, few Vikings fans will expect a victory at Paycor Stadium — unless the Benglas are surprisingly not-good — but a rematch with Burrow on the road generates pizazz.
3) vs. San Francisco 49ers (Oct. 23)
Write this down: of all Vikings games in 2023, this matchup will give fans the best indicator of how good Minnesota is — or can be.
Why? Well, NFL fans know the 49ers will always put a sturdy product on the field, and it often doesn’t matter who’s playing quarterback. San Francisco will be tough in October, but the Vikings take on Kyle Shanahan’s crew at U.S. Bank Stadium. Like the Eagles or Bengals games, this showdown could be nauseating on the road, but such is not the case for Vikings-49ers in 2023.
Circle this game as a bellwether event for the 2023 Vikings.
2) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Oct. 8)
Hail to the, well, Super Bowl champs.
For the first time, the Chiefs visit U.S. Bank Stadium, and for the first time, the Vikings get a crack at Patrick Mahomes. They wouldn’t have asked for it otherwise because Mahomes is so deadly, but this is how it goes for NFL scheduling — the Vikings play the Chiefs at least once every four years.
The last time the clubs met, Mahomes was injured in 2019, and Minnesota lost to Matt Moore’s Chiefs. Yes, him.
Nevertheless, facing Mahomes [if he’s not injured] is the most enlightened form of competition on the Vikings 2023 schedule. It will feel like “the Bills game” last year but in the state of Minnesota.
1) vs. Green Bay Packers (Dec. 31)
Indeed, it’s exciting to face the Packers anywhere on the schedule, but this one is all about timing.
The game is scheduled for Week 17, and neither team should be resting starters. Most Vikings fans believe Minnesota will be a decent football team in 2023, so this contest should have playoff implications. And if it doesn’t matter for either team, it’s still Vikings-Packers on New Year’s Eve. The two clubs have never matched up on December 31.
Jordan Love will also head into U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time as a starter. Vikings faithful get an early glimpse at Love to determine if he continues the 31-years-long streak of Packers Hall of Fame quarterback play or if he’s just a guy.
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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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