2021 NFL schedule: Three Vikings games for fans to circle

Published: May 12, 2021 at 08:01 PM

Kevin Patra

Around the NFL Writer

Editor's note: NFL.com is breaking down all 32 team schedules for the 2021 season. Here are the three games Minnesota Vikings fans should circle on their calendars this fall:

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers, Week 17, Jan. 2, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)

The 2020 matchup in Green Bay was a Mike Zimmer fever dream with Dalvin Cook scampering all over Minnesota's rivals. The victory at Lambeau jumpstarted the Vikings, who went from a 1-5 team to a 6-6 outfit before the bottom fell out of the defense. Cook could have another career-type game against a Green Bay defense that changed coordinators but didn't significantly upgrade the front seven. On the flip side, the big question is whether Zimmer's defense improved enough to slow Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' offense? (If the Hall of Fame quarterback's situation in Green Bay gets resolved, of course.) The division matchup late in the season could have huge playoff implications. It also culminates a string of three primetime games for the Vikes in four weeks. Placing Minnesota in a bevy of night games late in the season shows faith from NFL schedule makers that the Vikings should be in the hunt. Now it's time for Prime-time Kirk Cousins to rewrite that stale narrative.

Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers, Week 12, Nov. 28, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

The quarterback subplot offers uber what-ifs for two clubs vying to return to the postseason after disappointing 2020 campaigns. Cousins was the apple of Kyle Shanahan's eye. Instead of rejoining the coach in San Francisco, Cousins toils away in Minnesota. Certain Vikings fans have been decidedly bipolar on how the Cousins situation has unfolded -- ranging from viewing him as an underrated commodity to an overpaid hack. Now Shanahan has Minnesota native Trey Lance under his wing. Unless Jimmy Garoppolo beats out the rookie and dominates the early portion of the schedule, expect Lance to be in the game by this point of the schedule. Yes, Lance might need some seasoning, but the rookie offers an element to Shanahan's offense that might cause the coach to push the No. 3 overall pick into the lineup unless the Niners are destroying opponents under Jimmy G. Zimmer's defenses can be a lot for rookie quarterbacks to handle, so it could be quite a chess match between coaches if the youngster is in the lineup. Minnesota and San Francisco are each bounce-back candidates, particularly if their defenses rebound after subpar seasons. This late-November matchup could go a long way in determining which returns to the postseason and which endures another frustrating year.

Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings, Week 4, Oct. 3, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Minnesota welcomes Kevin Stefanski back. The former OC returns to the Gopher State after 14 seasons climbing the ladder with the Vikings. All that grooming to watch him leave for what on paper looks like greener rust-belt pastures. Stefanski returns with a Super Bowl-caliber roster that boasts playmakers on both sides of the ball. Nick Chubb and Cook should vie for the rushing title on these two ground-first clubs. Cousins and Baker Mayfield offer similar playmaking abilities and each excel at play-action. From Justin Jefferson to Odell Beckham to Adam Thielen to Jarvis Landry, this matchup provides a clinic on how to play the wide receiver position and boost their quarterback's production. The bout comes at a pivot spot in the Vikings schedule, the final of three straight versus playoff contenders before it eases up a bit ahead of the bye. Coaches love breaking down the schedule into quarters (even after the move to 17 games, they'll surely find a way to do so still), making the Week 4 tilt key for how Minnesota starts the season and closes a tough stretch of games.