Post by Funkytown on May 12, 2020 21:11:35 GMT -6
The Minnesota Vikings Face Daunting Road Schedule in 2020 by Bo Mitchell
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Link:
zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/the-minnesota-vikings-face-daunting-road-schedule-in-2020/
This slate of road opponents is going to be a significant challenge.
The home schedule is anything but ominous. The initial Las Vegas odds had the Vikings posted as 3.5-point favorites over the Packers in Week 1, and that might turn out to be the smallest point spread you’ll get on a Vikings home game this season. Provided all the key players stay healthy for the most part – always the biggest caveat – there’s no reason to think the Vikings won’t be favored in every home game this season. They might even run the table at U.S. Bank Stadium.
That road schedule, though…
Let’s turn to Vegas again for a general sense of how daunting the Vikings’ away games appear to be. Following the NFL schedule release, teamrankings.com averaged the over/under win totals across all the Vegas sportsbooks. The Vikings came in at an O/U of 8.75. By comparison, the average O/U win total for the Vikings’ seven toughest road opponents is 8.90.
That average does not include their Week 17 game at Ford Field against the Detroit Lions, who have a 6.63 average projected win total. In stark contrast to the Vikings’ home schedule, that Lions game could be the only road game in which the Vikings are favored this season. What’s more, it’s a Week 17 game so anything could happen. It could carry enormous playoff implications or it could be a meaningless contest in which one or both teams rest their best players.
Even if they hold serve at U.S. Bank Stadium and win every home game, their success away from home will determine whether they make the postseason. Under Zimmer, the Vikings have not made the playoffs with a losing record on the road and have made the playoffs every season they have not had a sub-.500 road record.
The Vikings might be underdogs in every road game this season. We can’t rule it out.
The home schedule is anything but ominous. The initial Las Vegas odds had the Vikings posted as 3.5-point favorites over the Packers in Week 1, and that might turn out to be the smallest point spread you’ll get on a Vikings home game this season. Provided all the key players stay healthy for the most part – always the biggest caveat – there’s no reason to think the Vikings won’t be favored in every home game this season. They might even run the table at U.S. Bank Stadium.
That road schedule, though…
Let’s turn to Vegas again for a general sense of how daunting the Vikings’ away games appear to be. Following the NFL schedule release, teamrankings.com averaged the over/under win totals across all the Vegas sportsbooks. The Vikings came in at an O/U of 8.75. By comparison, the average O/U win total for the Vikings’ seven toughest road opponents is 8.90.
That average does not include their Week 17 game at Ford Field against the Detroit Lions, who have a 6.63 average projected win total. In stark contrast to the Vikings’ home schedule, that Lions game could be the only road game in which the Vikings are favored this season. What’s more, it’s a Week 17 game so anything could happen. It could carry enormous playoff implications or it could be a meaningless contest in which one or both teams rest their best players.
Even if they hold serve at U.S. Bank Stadium and win every home game, their success away from home will determine whether they make the postseason. Under Zimmer, the Vikings have not made the playoffs with a losing record on the road and have made the playoffs every season they have not had a sub-.500 road record.
The Vikings might be underdogs in every road game this season. We can’t rule it out.
And then, just to top things off on the Vikings’ road gauntlet, three of their final four games come on the road:
- At Tampa Bay in Week 14 against Tom Brady, Gronk, an elite wide receiver duo and apparently every former Minnesota Golden Gopher.
- Christmas Day in New Orleans against a Saints team that already has this game circled on the locker room calendar – and not just because Santa brings presents that day.
- The weird Week 17 game against the Lions that may or may not mean anything.
Closing the season with three of the last four away from home when they could be battling for a playoff berth will be a grueling test.
Will the Vikings go winless on the road for only the fourth time in their history? Eh, probably not.
It should be noted that the last time the Vikings went winless on the road was 2013, the final season with Leslie Frazier as head coach. The time before that was 2001 when Denny Green was replaced by Mike Tice prior to Week 17. This has probably already been brought to Zimmer’s attention.
One last purple glimmer of hope: The Packers’ road schedule might even be a smidge tougher than the Vikings’ slate. The Pack also faces the Colts, Texans, Bears, Lions, Buccaneers and Saints. But instead of traveling to Seattle, they go to San Francisco for a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship in which the 49ers pummeled them, 37-20.
- At Tampa Bay in Week 14 against Tom Brady, Gronk, an elite wide receiver duo and apparently every former Minnesota Golden Gopher.
- Christmas Day in New Orleans against a Saints team that already has this game circled on the locker room calendar – and not just because Santa brings presents that day.
- The weird Week 17 game against the Lions that may or may not mean anything.
Closing the season with three of the last four away from home when they could be battling for a playoff berth will be a grueling test.
Will the Vikings go winless on the road for only the fourth time in their history? Eh, probably not.
It should be noted that the last time the Vikings went winless on the road was 2013, the final season with Leslie Frazier as head coach. The time before that was 2001 when Denny Green was replaced by Mike Tice prior to Week 17. This has probably already been brought to Zimmer’s attention.
One last purple glimmer of hope: The Packers’ road schedule might even be a smidge tougher than the Vikings’ slate. The Pack also faces the Colts, Texans, Bears, Lions, Buccaneers and Saints. But instead of traveling to Seattle, they go to San Francisco for a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship in which the 49ers pummeled them, 37-20.
Link:
zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/the-minnesota-vikings-face-daunting-road-schedule-in-2020/
... and neither is this Chris guy.