One of Chadiha’s “biggest takeaways” for Minnesota is that the Vikings “easily have one of the toughest starts to their season.” He wrote:
After traveling to play the Giants in the season-opener, they will play six straight games against playoff contenders: the 49ers, Texans, Packers, Jets, Lions and Rams. It already will be interesting to see how long Minnesota keeps rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy on the bench. With a slate like that, it’s probably best to allow him to watch Sam Darnold under fire.
Chadiha also noted “Kirk’s comeback” in Week 14, when the Vikings host the Falcons.
He said there “wasn’t any bad blood” when Cousins departed in free agency but added “the narrative around this game will still be compelling.”
The Falcons also drafted quarterback Michael Penix, Jr., with the eighth overall selection in April. If Cousins is struggling for some reason, maybe we see the rookie on the field much earlier than expected.
Finally, Chadiha noticed “familiar endings” on Minnesota’s schedule.
The Vikings won’t be the most hyped team in the NFC North, but they will have talent. The question will be whether they can do enough earlier in this season to control their fate late. Minnesota finishes with three division games in the final four weeks of the season, hosting Chicago and Green Bay before traveling to Detroit in the finale. If the Vikings can linger around .500 until then, that will be their chance to make a run at a playoff spot.
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