2020 NFL schedule release: Detroit Lions divisional rivals

Minnesota Vikings

2020 Schedule: 

Week 1 – vs. GB / Week 2 – @ IND / Week 3 – vs. TEN / Week 4 – @ HOU / Week 5 – @ SEA (SNF) / Week 6 – vs. ATL / Week 7 – BYE / Week 8 – @ GB  Week 9 – vs. DET  / Week 10 – @ CHI (MNF) / Week 11 – vs. DAL / Week 12 – vs. CAR / Week 13 – vs. JAX / Week 14 – @ TB / Week 15 – vs. CHI / Week 16 – @ NO (Christmas Day / Friday) / Week 17 – @ DET

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Vikings are looking at a nasty opening stretch of games in 2020. Four of their first five opponents were playoff teams in 2019, including back to back road dates against the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks.

A Week 6 home game against an Atlanta Falcons team that currently boasts 15 former first-round picks on their roster precedes Minnesota’s bye, followed by their second meeting with the Packers, this one in Wisconsin. We’ll likely have a good idea of how this Vikings squad measures up in the NFL when they host the Lions in Week 9.

Between Weeks 11 and 15, Minnesota plays four of five at home, including three straight. This includes winnable contests against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers. They finish with two road dates, visiting New Orleans on Christmas Day in a strange Friday affair, before heading to Ford Field in the closer.

The Vikings have been a nightmarish matchup for the Lions in recent seasons, winning four straight and five of six. They will field a vastly different lineup this year, but the Lions will still need much stronger performances against them to remain relevant in their division. Hopefully, their season-closing tilt will be a meaningful meeting for both squads.

Which NFC North team do you think has the most difficult schedule in 2020? Let us know in the comments section below.