NFL Rankings: Minnesota Vikings Exciting Prime Time 2025 Schedule
With the start of the regular season now less than a week away, it’s time for an NFL Rankings preview.
This ranking set will examine the number of primetime or nationally televised games the Minnesota Vikings will play in the 2025-26 season and compare it to the rest of the NFL.
Our own Josh Frey provides his thoughts on some of the harder games on the schedule here.
And full details of the Vikes’ 2025 schedule can be found on the team’s website.
So, let’s set the NFL rankings straight. Here’s a full breakdown of all of the Minnesota Vikings primetime and nationally televised games, and where that puts them among the rest of the NFL heading into September.
Table of Contents
NFL Rankings: Minnesota Vikings Prime Time and Nationally Televised Games
Prime Time/Nationally Televised Game 1: Week 1, @ Chicago Bears (Monday, Sept. 8, 8:15pm EDT/7:15 pm CDT, ESPN)
Right out of the chute, an old NFC North rivalry is renewed. The Vikings swept the Bears last season and have won seven out of the last eight matchups dating back to the 2022-23 season. But don’t sleep on Chicago. They made some changes this offseason, including a new head coach to cater to and develop second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. However, opening the season on a national stage has to be among the most exciting factors of an early-season competition.
Prime Time/Nationally Televised Game 2: Week 2, vs Atlanta Falcons (Sunday, Sept. 14, 8:20pm EDT/7:20pm CDT, NBC)
Another young quarterback gets a chance to prove himself on a national stage against the Vikings. This time, it’ll be the Vikes’ home opener, as they welcome Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons. With former Viking Kirk Cousins backing him up, it’ll be a homecoming of sorts. Then again, with the NFL Rankings thinking somewhat highly of the Vikings, it should be a fun matchup between young signal-callers. The last time the two teams met, Minnesota defeated Atlanta 42-21 in December of last year. SO, in a way, it could also be a revenge game for the Dirty Birds.
Prime Time/Nationally Televised Game 3: Week 4, @ Pittsburgh Steelers, in Dublin, Ireland (Sunday, Sept. 28, 9:30am EDT/8:30am CDT/2:30pm Irish Standard Time, NFL Network)
A familiar foe to the Vikings is amongst the first of two international showdowns in the early window of the season. That foe? None other than Mr. Aaron Rodgers. Among the top of the NFL rankings in terms of quarterback history, he could very well be heading into his last season in 2025. Believe it, Mr. Rodgers has had some great games in the past against the Vikes. But, for an early test, it should be a very intriguing matchup.
Prime Time/Nationally Televised Game 4: Week 5, @ Cleveland Browns, in London, England (Sunday, Oct. 5, 9:30am EDT/8:30am CDT/2:30 Greenwich Mean Time, NFL Network)
Vikings vs Browns? In London? What is this, 2017 all over again? I only kid, but this is almost a carbon copy. Except for the quarterback matchup. It was a young Browns quarterback against a veteran Vikings quarterback the last time these two teams played each other across the pond.
Now it’s veteran Browns QB (Joe Flacco) against young Vikings QB (JJ McCarthy). And, in NFL rankings for quarterback history, Flacco is definitely no slouch. A Super Bowl champion, and over 45,000 passing yards in his career. While the Browns have experienced a bit of a renaissance in the 2020s, so have the Vikings. So, from an NFL rankings perspective, this should provide some early October fireworks.
Prime Time/Nationally Televised Game 5: Week 8, @ Los Angeles Chargers (Thursday, Oct. 23, 8:15pm EDT/7:15pm CDT, Amazon Prime Video)
Where would Justin Herbert fall in the NFL rankings among young quarterbacks? Probably top 10, top 15. But it should be fairly intriguing for what is now a Big Ten showdown at the QB position, with Herbert, the Oregon Duck, going up against the former Michigan Wolverine J.J. McCarthy. A battle of young signal-callers always provides for an entertaining game, and on a national stage, no less. Why not?
Prime Time/Nationally Televised Game 6: Week 15, @ Dallas Cowboys (Sunday, Dec. 14, 8:20pm EST/7:15pm CST, NBC)
Surprise, surprise. The Dallas Cowboys get a primetime game. What else is new? Oh, it’s against the Vikings. For NFL rankings, the Dallas Cowboys are consistently among the top prime time players. More detail on that in a bit. However, with the end of the season and a Sunday night showdown approaching, that should be a key factor in determining playoff position.
Prime Time/Nationally Televised Game 7: Week 17, vs Detroit Lions (Thursday, Dec. 25, 4:30pm EST/3:30pm CST, Netflix)
Hey, a Christmas Day showdown for the Vikings. And it’s against the up-and-coming Detroit Lions. The Lions are slowly emerging as NFC North contenders after quite a few down years in the 2010s. So, they could be a surprise. What to think? Who knows? Only time will tell.
So, where will the Vikings be ranked in the NFL overall totals for primetime and nationally televised games? Let’s look at the rankings.
Official NFL Rankings for Primetime Games in 2025
Number 1: Kansas City Chiefs, 7 total primetime games
Number 2: Dallas Cowboys, 6 total primetime games
T-number 3: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, 5 total primetime games
T-number 4: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, 4 total primetime games
T-number 5: New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, 3 total primetime games
T-number 6: New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, 2 total primetime games
T-number 7: Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, 1 primetime game
T-number 8: Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, no primetime games
So, in terms of the NFL rankings, the Vikings are among the middle of the pack, with four primetime games and seven total nationally televised games. The purple and gold are a popular watch choice for this upcoming season. That should be exciting for the Skol Nation.
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