Vikings Reveal Surprise for This Sunday

4 Vikings Have Exceeded Expectations in 2022
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Third time’s a charm.

Vikings Reveal Surprise for This Sunday

That’s the working theory for the Minnesota Vikings’ win-loss aspect, as the team’s social media announced on Tuesday that the Vikings will wear their throwback jerseys this Sunday against the Houston Texans.

Image Courtesy of Vikings.com. Strong safety Harrison Smith shown wearting Minnesota new alternate uniforms on July 18, 2023, via stream event. Minnesota will wear the uniforms on September 10th, 2023, at home versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

To date, Minnesota is 0-2 when wearing the threads and hopes to end the naughty streak in Week 3.

The primary Vikings account tweeted, “The Vikings will wear their Classic uniform Sunday as part of the team’s Legends Weekend festivities.”

Minnesota is an early 1.5-point underdog facing Houston, as both teams showcase a battle of unbeatens. The Vikings have toppled the New York Giants on the road by 22 points to start the 2024 campaign, along with an impressive six-point triumph over the Super Bowl runner-up San Francisco 49ers in Week 2. In fact, Vikings-Texans is one of the NFL’s top matchups this weekend, an opinion that couldn’t necessarily be shared in good faith a few weeks ago.

2024 Opponents
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The jerseys flashback to the 1960s and 1970s, along with the pants. The Vikings helmet and logo — which virtually never change (until this December) — will remain the same, except for the facemask. The franchise brought back the gray color.

For non-Vikings fans, the uniforms will probably incite the Spider-man meme — the outfits don’t really look different to outsiders. The helmets appear unchanged, aside from gray facemasking. The logo — the horns — of course, are untouched. But the jersey pattern, number-lettering, and style are indeed a clock turnback to 50+ years ago.

josh oliver
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Until 2024, Minnesota was among the few NFL teams that seldom changed anything with logos or uniforms. The club produced a “white out” event twice, where players wore all-white uniforms, and fans were asked to join. And they mostly obliged, creating a charming effect at U.S. Bank Stadium.

But earlier this year, Minnesota announced new uniforms featuring a white helmet and all-white everything. They’re called “Winter Warrior” and will be worn during a December home game.

The game versus Houston will also showcase some former player angles. Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs now play for the Texans, while Jonathan Greenard and Blake Cashman, former Texans, landed in Minnesota via free agency back in March.

surprise
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Houston has never defeated Minnesota, losing five times since the franchise’s inception. The teams most recently met in 2020 when the Vikings chipped off Deshaun Watson and friends before Watson’s career downward spiral.

Tickets for Vikings-Texans start around $100 apiece on the resale market.


Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.