Vikings Face Tough Schedule in 2013

January 2, 2013

Christian Ponder and the Vikings face a daunting slate of games in 2013. (Photo Courtesy of vikings.com)

We’re still surprisingly engrossed in the 2012 season even though we’ve turned the calendar over to the new year. Many of us thought we’d have given up on the season by November. (Ok, let’s be honest, all of us thought that.) Instead, we are days away from a much-anticipated and very nerve-racking rematch against the Packers in Lambeau Field. The excitement is palpable.

While we await the rematch, however, let’s take a quick break and look at the Vikings 2013 schedule, which is now set. Minnesota’s opponents next season had a combined .515 winning percentage this season. Our rotation slots us to play the NFC East and AFC North. While the exact dates are not yet set, the opponents are set in stone.

We’ll have tough road games against Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Dallas, the New York Giants, Cincinnati, Baltimore and Seattle. Ouch. The only road game next season that isn’t daunting is the matchup against Detroit. Every other road game will be a dogfight.

That means the Vikings will have to take care of business at home. Unfortunately, though, one of those home games is against Pittsburgh in London. With the stadium issues to boot, this is not shaping up to be an ideal schedule. The final seven home games are Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Philadelphia, Washington, Cleveland and Carolina.

Home: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers
Away: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals

That schedule gives us the shivers. Let’s focus on this weekend’s playoff matchup for now. We can worry about next season, well, next season.