In 64 days, the Minnesota Vikings embark on the regular season, their 64th quest to become the last team standing at the end of the year.
Minnesota has one of the NFL’s most difficult schedules despite finishing third in the NFC North last year.
The club will have some revenge games on the docket, and these are those ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = top revenge game).
This game has all sorts of revenge aspects — from multiple players on each team.
Danielle Hunter joined the Texans’ roster this offseason. He’s from Houston. Stefon Diggs and Case Keenum also work for the Texans. Then, Minnesota swiped Jonathan Greenard and Blake Cashman away from Houston in March, so this game will have many Spider-man meme angles.
Houston will be heavily favored — even on the Vikings’ turf — but this one will be supremely fascinating from about five player perspectives.
During free agency, the Packers signed Josh Jacobs to hold down RB1 duties in 2024, and that was all Aaron Jones needed to see. He quickly shaped his free agency plans, signing with the Packers’ rival, the Vikings, one day later.
Now, like many before him, including Za’Darius Smith and Brett Favre, Jones will be anxious to avenge Green Bay’s treatment of his contract situation.
Of course, Jones will get two cracks at his former team, sweetening the revenge aspect.
This contest, whenever it may apply, is the T.J. Hockenson revenge game.
His former team and teammate did him dirty last December, tackling Hockenson low and ending his 2023 campaign. Hockenson, too, may miss the start of 2024.
After the injuries to Hockenson and Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee — safety Kerby Joseph caused both injuries — Lions head coach Dan Campbell defended his players’ tackling technique: “That’s how we play football here; just keep your head up, see what you hit.”
The Lions will be a good football team, but fans will want a victory for Hockenson’s sake — on top of the natural NFC North rivalry.
It’s the “Kirk Cousins Game,” and no real caption is needed.
Cousins opted for more money than Minnesota’s front office offered, while Cousins might’ve felt slighted that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah didn’t value him a bit more.
Must see television on December 8th, it’s Cousins versus his old team. And it’s the first time Cousins has played as a visitor at U.S. Bank Stadiun.
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,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.