The Minnesota Vikings schedule for the 2019 regular season is finally official with the NFL dropping the league-wide slate of games on Wednesday night, about a week or so ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft. This year's crop of opponents sees the team taking on the NFC East and AFC West divisions, in addition to their regular six games against the NFC North and a single opponent from both the NFC West and NFC South divisions. Here is the full schedule for the Vikings this upcoming season. (Note: All kickoffs at 12 p.m. CT unless otherwise noted). Week 1: vs. Atlanta Falcons Week 2: at Green Bay Packers Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders Week 4: at Chicago Bears (3:25 p.m. CT) Week 5: at New York Giants Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles Week 7: at Detroit Lions Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins (Thursday Night Football) Week 9: at Kansas City Chiefs Week 10: at Dallas Cowboys (Sunday Night Football) Week 11: vs. Denver Broncos Week 12: BYE Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks (Monday Night Football) Week 14: vs. Detroit Lions Week 15: at Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday Night Football) Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers (Monday Night Football) Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears For the Vikings' recent history against the teams on their schedule, be sure to hit our breakdown here. The Vikings are coming off of a 2018 season that was disappointing given the team's lofty goals and one of the most talented rosters in the league that missed the playoffs and finished with a record of 8-7-1. While most were perhaps rooting for a shakeup of sorts, the organization has instead decided to stay the course, but dial back to some of the things they were able to do in 2017 that led them to an NFC Championship game appearance. Kevin Stefanski takes over as the full-time offensive coordinator with a revamped offensive coaching staff around him that sees former NFL head coach Gary Kubiak in a senior advisory role, his son Klint Kubiak as quarterbacks coach and Rick Dennison taking over a rebooted offensive line. Defensively, the Vikings stunned the NFL when they were able to find the money to bring back linebacker Anthony Barr on a deal that pays him $13.5 million per year over five seasons, giving head coach Mike Zimmer one of his favorite chess pieces on the defensive side of the ball. Other moves include bringing back defensive tackle Shamar Stephen, re-signing restricted free agents Anthony Harris and Rashod Hill, as well as adding a new backup quarterback to Kirk Cousins in Sean Mannion and retaining depth at running back in the form of Ameer Abdullah.<doc-sep>The Minnesota Vikings are looking to pivot back in the right direction and return to the NFL playoffs in 2019. While they draw a tough set of opponents this season, the Vikings have an immense amount of talent on both sides of the ball. In turn, there’s plenty of confidence in their chances to make the jump back into the postseason. We already know who Minnesota will face this season, as the opponents were released at the end of last year, but the full schedule is set to be released soon. Every NFL team will know its 2019 schedule on Wednesday, April 17 at 8 p.m. ET when it’s revealed by the league. As we’ve seen in previous years, schedule leaks come out in the hours prior to the release, so there are already a number of matchups which have been brought to light by beat writers and other analysts. We’ll be updating this post with any leaks and additional information that is revealed and will then post the official Vikings schedule once it’s made public. Let’s start with the full list of opponents and offer up some predictions, followed by the breakdown of leaks. Vikings Schedule 2019: Home Opponents & Predictions *Note: All opponents for the 2019 season are courtesy of FBS Schedules. Predictions may change after the official schedule is revealed. TEAMS PREDICTIONS Chicago Bears Win Detroit Lions Win Green Bay Packers Loss Philadelphia Eagles Win Washington Redskins Win Denver Broncos Win Oakland Raiders Win Atlanta Falcons Loss Predicted home record: 6-2 Vikings Schedule 2019: Away Opponents & Predictions TEAMS PREDICTIONS Chicago Bears Loss Green Bay Packers Win Detroit Lions Win Dallas Cowboys Loss Kansas City Chiefs Loss Los Angeles Chargers Win New York Giants Win Seattle Seahawks Loss Predicted road record: 4-4 Predicted final record: 10-6 Vikings 2019 NFL Schedule Leaks The schedule below will be updated with any leaks, along with the sources. When the official times and dates are revealed there will be an update made to reflect that, and the predictions above will be touched up as well. Week 1: vs. Atlanta Falcons Week 2: at Green Bay Packers Week 3: Oakland Raiders Week 4: at Chicago Bears Week 5: at New York Giants Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles Week 7: vs. Detroit Lions Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins – TNF Week 9: vs. Kansas City Chiefs Week 10: vs. Dallas Cowboys – SNF Week 11: vs. Denver Broncos Week 12: Bye Week 13: vs. Seattle Seahawks – MNF Week 14: vs. Detroit Lions Week 15: vs. Los Angeles Chargers – SNF Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers – MNF Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears READ NEXT: NFL Schedule Release 2019: Date, Time & Updated Leaks<doc-sep>As we know, today is the day that the 2019 NFL Schedule will be announced. We have already been keeping track of everything that we’ve heard so far concerning different rumors and leaks throughout the day. Now that the schedule has been officially released, here’s the full rundown. Note: All times are in Central time because, you know, that’s the time zone the Vikings reside in. Minnesota Vikings 2019 Schedule Week Date Opponent Location Time (CT) Network Week Date Opponent Location Time (CT) Network 1 8 September Atlanta Falcons U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM FOX 2 15 September at Green Bay Packers Lambeau Field 12:00 PM FOX 3 22 September Oakland Raiders U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM FOX 4 29 September at Chicago Bears Soldier Field 3:25 PM CBS 5 6 October at New York Giants MetLife Stadium 12:00 PM FOX 6 13 October Philadelphia Eagles U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM FOX 7 20 October at Detroit Lions Ford Field 12:00 PM FOX 8 24 October (Thu) Washington Redskins U.S. Bank Stadium 7:20 PM FOX/NFLN 9 3 November at Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium 12:00 PM FOX 10 10 November at Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium 7:20 PM NBC 11 17 November Denver Broncos U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM CBS 12 24 November BYE 13 2 December (Mon) at Seattle Seahawks CenturyLink Field 7:15 PM ESPN 14 8 December Detroit Lions U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM FOX 15 15 December at Los Angeles Chargers Dignity Health Sports Park 7:20 PM NBC 16 23 December (Mon) Green Bay Packers U.S. Bank Stadium 7:15 PM ESPN 17 29 December Chicago Bears U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM FOX Some first impressions from seeing the full 2019 slate: As rumored, the Vikings will open their 2019 account at home against the Atlanta Falcons. The first half of the slate is mostly the typical noon local time kickoffs that fans are accustomed to (and most actually prefer). Only one of the first seven games has a non-noon start: at 3:25 PM matchup when they visit the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. But after Week 7, the Vikings are currently slated for a whopping five nationally televised prime time games. They host the Washington Redskins on Thursday Night Football in Week 8 and the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football in Week 16. Between that, there are currently three prime time games on the road: Week 10 at Jerry’s World against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, Week 13 at the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night, and Week 15 when they visit the Los Angeles Chargers for another Sunday night matchup. Of course, depending on how the seasons are unfolding for the respective teams, the two Sunday night games on NBC have the possibility of being flexed out to Sunday afternoon instead. nationally televised prime time games. They host the Washington Redskins on Thursday Night Football in Week 8 and the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football in Week 16. Between that, there are currently three prime time games on the road: Week 10 at Jerry’s World against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, Week 13 at the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night, and Week 15 when they visit the Los Angeles Chargers for another Sunday night matchup. Of course, depending on how the seasons are unfolding for the respective teams, the two Sunday night games on NBC have the possibility of being flexed out to Sunday afternoon instead. For the second straight season, the Vikings will visit Green Bay in Week 2 for the Packers’ home opener. We’re going to go out on a limb here and predict that this one will not end in a tie highlighted by four missed field goals and very questionable roughing the passer calls. (Then again...) For the fourth straight season, the Week 17 game will be the same: hosting the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. The last week always includes divisional matchups, but the sheer lack of variety for the season finale is a bit puzzling. Now that the full slate of games has been released, what are your first impressions? Tough to find that first loss? Are we doomed before the bye? Which road trips are you going to try and make? Let us know in the comments below.<doc-sep>Jeff Haynes/Associated Press The Minnesota Vikings had high expectations in 2018 but finished outside the playoffs. They will hope 2019 is a much different story. There was a lot of confidence at this point last year after adding Kirk Cousins to a team that was 13-3 the year before with the No. 1 defense in the league. Unfortunately, few things went right and the squad ended up going 8-7-1, just outside of the final wild-card spot. The good news is there are still the same pieces on the roster that could make this team a Super Bowl contender. If the players can remain healthy, there is a path back to the playoffs and possibly a deep run in January. The team will need to start in the regular season with this schedule, courtesy of the team's official site. Vikings' 2019 Schedule Video Play Button Videos you might like Week 1: vs. Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox Week 2: at Green Bay Packers on Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders on Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox Week 4: at Chicago Bears on Sept. 29 at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS Week 5: at New York Giants on Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox Week 7: at Detroit Lions on Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins on Oct. 24 at 8:20 p.m. ET on Fox/NFL Network Week 9: at Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox Week 10: at Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 10 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC Week 11: vs. Denver Broncos on Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS Week 12: BYE Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 2 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN Week 14: vs. Detroit Lions on Dec. 8 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox Week 15: at Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 15 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers on Dec. 23 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears on Dec. 29 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox Analysis Jose Juarez/Associated Press With Anthony Barr back in the fold, the defense remains loaded at all three levels. Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes and others should keep the secondary at an elite level when healthy, while Danielle Hunter, Linval Joseph and the defensive line can match up with nearly anyone in the NFL. Although the unit ranked just ninth in points allowed last year, it still has the talent to be a No. 1 group. On offense, there are plenty of playmakers from Dalvin Cook to Adam Thielen to Stefon Diggs. Still, everything comes down to Cousins. The quarterback had a career-high 30 passing touchdowns last year but was mostly a disappointment with his inability to make plays against quality opponents. There will be a lot of stingy defenses on the schedule this year, including the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers. Overall, this is the 10th-toughest schedule in the 2019 season, per John Breech of CBS Sports. Cousins will have to prove he can succeed against the best in the league—otherwise, this season will be a lost one for Minnesota. Pivotal Matchups Stacy Revere/Getty Images Vikings fans have been focusing on games against the Green Bay Packers for years, but it's time to circle the two matchups with the Bears instead. Minnesota will host its divisional opponent in Week 17 and go to Chicago in Week 4, and both could determine the outcome of this season. The Bears finished last year with a 12-4 record and return the majority of a defense that ranked first in the NFL in points allowed. With Mitchell Trubisky expected to improve, this team isn't going away in 2019. The Vikings will need to, at the very least, split their games against this team if they want to win the division. Otherwise, they are likely looking at the wild card or worse. Road games against the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks could also be important, while the five primetime games will be fun to watch.<doc-sep>
Minnesota will open the season at home against Atlanta. Minnesota Vikings The NFL has released the regular season schedule and the Vikings now know exactly where they'll be all 17 weeks of the upcoming 2019 campaign. Week 1: vs. Atlanta Falcons – Sunday, Sept. 8 – 12 p.m. Week 2: at Green Bay Packers – Sunday, Sept. 15 – 12 p.m. Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders – Sunday, Sept. 22 – 12 p.m. Week 4: at Chicago Bears – Sunday, Sept. 29 – 3:25 p.m. Week 5: at New York Giants – Sunday, Oct. 6 – 12 p.m. Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles – Sunday, Oct. 13 – 12 p.m. Week 7: at Detroit Lions – Sunday, Oct. 20 – 12 p.m. Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins – Thursday, Oct. 24 – 7:20 p.m. Week 9: at Kansas City Chiefs – Sunday, Nov. 3 – 12 p.m. Week 10: at Dallas Cowboys – Sunday, Nov. 10 – 7:20 p.m. Week 11: vs. Denver Broncos – Sunday, Nov. 17 – 12 p.m. Week 12: BYE Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks – Monday, Dec. 2 – 7:15 p.m. Week 14: vs. Detroit Lions – Sunday, Dec. 8 – 12 p.m. Week 15: at Los Angeles Chargers – Sunday, Dec. 15 – 7:20 p.m. Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers – Monday, Dec. 23 – 7:15 p.m. Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears – Sunday, Dec. 29 – 12 p.m. So much for the speculation from a Sports Illustrated-based podcast in February that said the Vikings and Eagles meeting on Thanksgiving Day was "pretty likely." Overall, the Vikings play five times in prime time, once on Thursday Night Football, twice on Sunday Night Football and twice on Monday Night Football. Five prime time games is the maximum allowed by the NFL. They also get a boost with four of their last six games at home.