The Hardest Games on the 2025 Vikings Schedule
The Minnesota Vikings were one of the biggest surprises during the 2024 season, finishing with a 14-3 record and second in the NFC North.
As a result, their 2025 schedule will be a much tougher slate than the schedule they faced last year after their 7-10 season in 2023. With a number of difficult games on the slate, here is a look at the absolute hardest games on the 2025 Vikings schedule.
5. Week 12 @ Green Bay
Any trip to Lambeau Field is a difficult one, but it is especially tough when the Green Bay Packers are expected to be a playoff contender. By Week 12, we should know whether or not the Packers have a chance to make some noise in January, and all signs point towards that answer being yes.
Green Bay finally dipped into the wide receiver pool during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting the speedy Matthew Golden to add yet another weapon to their young arsenal around Jordan Love. They also added Aaron Banks to their offensive line while making a couple strong moves on defense.
4. Week 17 vs. Detroit
Christmas Day games haven’t always been the brightest of moments for the Minnesota Vikings (remember 2020 vs. the New Orleans Saints?), but it has been a long time since the Vikings have hosted one of these holiday matchups. In fact, the last time it happened was 1989 when they beat the Cincinnati Bengals.
This one will be a tough game for both sides as it takes place on a Thursday afternoon at 3:30, giving teams even less time to prepare than a typical week with a Thursday game. Facing a team like the Lions, who seem on track to be a Super Bowl contender again this year, is no easy task any week, but especially on a short week after playing on the road in four of the previous five weeks.
3. Week 9 @ Detroit
Speaking of Detroit, the Vikings’ first matchup with their division rivals comes in Week 9 on the road. Hopefully, it leads to better luck for Minnesota than last year when their trip to Detroit came in Week 18.
However, this game does happen to be sandwiched right in the middle of the toughest part of Minnesota’s 2025 schedule. It’s the second of back-to-back road games, and before that, the Vikings will have had a matchup with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
2. Week 7 vs. Philadelphia
Speaking of those Super Bowl champions, this list would not be complete without adding the Eagles game somewhere. Philadelphia has had Minnesota’s number in recent years, winning each of the past two matchups in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
However, both of those games were in Philadelphia during primetime matchups. This time, the Vikings get to play host to the Eagles, and perhaps it will provide a different result. Regardless, this will be a very difficult game. The Eagles still have one of the most dominant defensive fronts and offensive lines in the NFL, and Jalen Hurts has only continued to grow as a quarterback.
The saving grace for the Vikings in this matchup is that it is coming immediately after their Week 6 bye while Philadelphia will be coming off a road matchup with the New York Giants.
1. Week 10 vs. Baltimore
Any way you spin it, the Week 10 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens is going to be a doozy for the Vikings. It comes immediately after that road matchup in Week 9 with the Detroit Lions, which will be two weeks after Minnesota hosts the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, and oh yeah, there’s also a Week 8 road game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
There will be a lot of physical football played in that stretch against Nick Sirianni, Jim Harbaugh, and Dan Campbell, and then the defense also has to find a way to deal with Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. That month of football will be the biggest test the Vikings face all season, and the final game of that stretch against Baltimore will be the toughest test of all.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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