The Vikings 2021 schedule, which was announced May 12, will include a pair of road contests to start the season, four prime-time appearances and several intriguing matchups.

After a balance between road appearances in Games 1-4 and Games 5-8, the Vikings will find themselves with three road trips in four contests for Games 9-12. The reward will be three home games over the course of the final five weeks. Minnesota will host Pittsburgh, visit Chicago, welcome the Los Angeles Rams, visit Green Bay and close at home against Chicago.

Here's a look at the series history, 2020 stats, roster changes and some "icebreakers" for Games 13-17 of the Vikings 2021 season:

Vikings vs. Steelers | Week 14

7:20 p.m. (CT) | Thursday, Dec. 9 | U.S. Bank Stadium

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Series Results

Vikings W-L-T: 9-9 (includes 0-1 in playoffs)

Home: 4-2; Away: 4-6; Neutral: 1-1

Last time in regular season: Steelers defeated Vikings 26-9 on Sept. 17, 2017

Last time in regular season in Minnesota: Steelers defeated Vikings 18-3 on Dec. 18, 2005

2020 Stats

Pittsburgh offense

QB Ben Roethlisberger will return for his 18th season in black and yellow in 2021. He is the franchise leader in passing yards (60,348), touchdowns (396), wins (156), completions (5,050) and attempts (7,838).

The Steelers ranked last in the league with just 84.4 rushing yards per game this past season. That figure was Pittsburgh's lowest average since 2013 and prompted the Steelers to draft a running back in the first round of April's draft.

Pittsburgh defense

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt was among the league's quickest reactors, as his average get-off after snaps was 0.72 seconds in 2020. Watt led the NFL with 15 sacks.

The Steelers were stingy on defense once again in 2020, allowing just 17.6 total first downs per game. That stat ranked second among all defenses from this past season.

Steelers Roster Refresher

Added: RB Kalen Ballage, OL Rashaad Coward, OL B.J. Finney, OL Joe Haeg, CB Cameron Sutton, S Miles Killebrew

First two picks of 2021 NFL Draft: Alabama RB Najee Harris at No. 24 overall and Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth at 55

Departed (new team if player has signed or was traded)/contract expired/waived/unsigned: RB James Conner (Cardinals), TE Vance McDonald (retired), T Matt Feiler (Chargers), T Alejandro Villanueva (Ravens), C Maurkice Pouncey (retired), LB Bud Dupree (Titans), LB Avery Williamson, CB Mike Hilton (Bengals), C B Steven Nelson, DB Sean Davis (Colts)

Icebreakers

This will be Pittsburgh's first trip to Minnesota since 2005, as the previous meeting slated to be a Vikings home game was held in London in 2013. … Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin, a former Vikings assistant, is 145-78-1 as he enters his 15th season in charge. Pittsburgh has made nine playoff appearances and captured Super Bowl XLIII in his tenure. … The Vikings fell to the Steelers in Super Bowl IX. … Vikings defensive tackle Michael Pierce, formerly of the Ravens, has played eight career games against the Steelers. … Pittsburgh WR JuJu Smith-Schuster re-signed with the Steelers this offseason on a one-year deal. He has 26 touchdown catches in his first four seasons.

—By @Eric\_L\_Smith

Vikings at Bears | Week 15

7:15 p.m.* (CT) | Monday, Dec. 20 | Soldier Field

Check out flight options on Delta.com.

Series Results

Vikings W-L-T: 61-57-2 (includes 0-1 in playoffs)

Home: 37-24; Away: 24-33-2

Last time in regular season at Chicago: Vikings defeated Bears 19-13 on Nov. 16

2020 Stats

Chicago offense

Chicago committed at least one turnover in all but two games last season and suffered from two or more giveaways in seven games.

The Bears ranked 26th in the NFL with a goal-to-go touchdown rate of 68.8 percent.

Chicago defense

The passer rating of 94.9 by opposing QBs was the highest allowed by the Bears since 2015 (99.3) and was up from 72.9 in 2018 and 85.2 in 2019.

The Bears limited opponents to 5.9 plays, 30.8 yards and 2.01 points per possession, ranking in the top 10 in each category.

Bears Roster Refresher

Added: QB Andy Dalton, RB Damien Williams, WR Marquise Goodwin, CB Desmond Trufant

First two picks of 2021 NFL Draft: Ohio State QB Justin Fields at No. 11 overall (after trading up) and Oklahoma State T Teven Jenkins at 39

Departed (new team if player has signed or was traded)/contract expired/waived/unsigned: QB Mitchell Trubisky (Bills), WR Cordarrelle Patterson (Falcons), T Charles Leno, Jr., DL Brent Urban (Cowboys), Roy Robertson-Harris (Jaguars), LB Barkevious Mingo (Falcons), CB Kyle Fuller (Broncos), CB Buster Skrine

Icebreakers

The Vikings will aim to win consecutive games at Soldier Field for the first time since winning five in a row from 1996-2000. Minnesota improved to 3-4 in Chicago under Head Coach Mike Zimmer by limiting the Bears to just 149 yards of total offense and a rate of 2-for-11 on third downs last year. … Chicago will have to replace the lift provided by Patterson, who led the NFL in kickoff return yards in each of the past two seasons to help the Bears rank seventh in average drive start (30.5-yard line). … Opponents averaged 20.4 yards per kickoff return, the sixth-lowest average in the NFL. … The Bears ranked seventh in the NFL in 2020 with a success rate of 93.75 percent on field goals. Cairo Santos made 30 of 32 field goals to bounce back from a rough stint with Tennessee in 2019.

— By @pcraigers

Vikings vs. Rams | Week 16

Noon* (CT) | Sunday, Dec. 26 | U.S. Bank Stadium

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Series Results

Vikings W-L-T: 27-17-2 (includes 5-2 in playoffs)

Home: 16-3-2; Away: 11-14

Last time in regular season: Rams defeated Vikings 38-31 in Los Angeles on Sept. 27, 2018

Last time in regular season in Minnesota: Vikings defeated Rams 24-7 on Nov. 19, 2017

2020 Stats

L.A. Rams offense

The Rams allowed a sacks-per-pass attempt rate of just 4.24 percent, which was the league's sixth-best.

Los Angeles' 377.0 yards per game ranked 11th in the NFL; the Rams ranked 10th with 126.1 rushing yards per game.

L.A. Rams defense

The Rams led the league defensively in total yards allowed (281.9), points allowed per game (18.5) and passing yards allowed per game (190.7). L.A. became the third team to lead the NFL in yards allowed and points allowed in the past four seasons, joining Minnesota (2017) and New England (2019).

Opponents converted just 35.4 percent of third-down attempts, which was third-best in the NFL behind Miami (31.2) and Baltimore (34.0).

Rams Roster Refresher

Added: QB Matthew Stafford (via trade), WR DeSean Jackson, P Corey Bojorquez

First two picks of 2021 NFL Draft: Louisville WR Tutu Atwell at No. 57 overall and South Carolina LB Ernest Jones at No. 103

Departed (new team if player has signed or was traded)/contract expired/waived/unsigned: QB Jared Goff (traded to Lions), RB Malcolm Brown (Dolphins), WR Josh Reynolds (Titans), TE Gerald Everett (Seahawks), C Austin Blythe (Chiefs), DE Morgan Fox (Panthers), DT Michael Brockers (traded to Lions), CB Troy Hill (Browns), S John Johnson III (Browns)

Icebreakers

Head Coach Sean McVay posted a 43-21 record in his first four regular seasons. … The Rams advanced to the Divisional Round of the playoffs but were defeated 32-18 by the Packers. … Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown led the Rams in rushing touchdowns with five apiece. … Receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods combined last season for 1,910 yards and nine touchdowns through the air. … Defensive tackle Aaron Donald ranked second in the NFL with 13.5 sacks, trailing only T.J. Watt (15).

— By @LindseyMNSports

Vikings at Packers | Week 17

7:20 p.m.* (CT) | Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022 | Lambeau Field

Check out flight options on Delta.com.

Series Results

Vikings W-L-T: 55-63-3 (includes 1-1 in playoffs)

Home: 29-30; Away: 26-33-3

Last time in regular season at Green Bay: Vikings defeated Packers 28-22 on Nov. 1, 2020

2020 Stats

Green Bay offense

Green Bay lead the NFL in points per game (31.8) in 2020. The Packers scored at least 35 points in seven regular-season games last year.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers threw the most touchdown passes on play-action passes (20) in the history of the Next Gen Stats era. Rodgers had thrown just 17 total scores on play-action passes in his previous four seasons combined.

Green Bay defense

Packers LB Za'Darius Smith made the Pro Bowl for the second straight season in 2020. He racked up 12.5 sacks, and now has 26.0 sacks in two seasons since joining Green Bay as a free agent in the spring of 2019.

The Packers pass defense ranked seventh in the NFL with just 221.2 passing yards allowed per game. Green Bay finished in the top 10 in that category for the first time since 2015.

Packers Roster Refresher

Added: LS Joe Fortunato

First two picks of 2021 NFL Draft: Georgia CB Eric Stokes at No. 29 overall and Ohio State C Josh Myers at 62

Departed (new team if player has signed or was traded)/contract expired/waived/unsigned: C Corey Linsley (Chargers), RB Jamaal Williams (Lions), QB Tim Boyle (Lions), RB Tyler Ervin, WR Tavon Austin, OT Rick Wagner, DL Montravius Adams (Patriots) and LB Christian Kirksey (Texans)

Icebreakers

Green Bay went 7-1 at home in 2020, with its lone loss coming to the Vikings. … Stokes, Green Bay's first-round pick, was unofficially clocked at 4.25 seconds in the 40-yard dash at Georgia's Pro Day in mid-March. … Williams, who is now with the Lions, rushed for 1,985 yards and 10 scores in four seasons with the Packers. … Green Bay WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling was the league's only player to average 20-plus yards per catch in 2020. He averaged 20.9 yards per reception on 33 catches.

— By @Eric\_L\_Smith

Vikings vs. Bears | Week 18

Noon* (CT) | Sunday, Jan. 9 | U.S. Bank Stadium

Check out ticket options.

Series Results

Vikings W-L-T: 61-57-2 (includes 0-1 in playoffs)

Home: 37-24; Away: 24-33-2

Last time in regular season in Minnesota: Bears defeated Vikings 33-27 on Dec. 20, 2020

2020 Stats

Chicago offense

Since 2018 when the Bears outgained opponents 1,938 to 1,280 on the ground, they've given up more rushing yards than they've amassed. Chicago had three players with 421 or more rushing yards in 2018 but hasn't had two players with more than 233 rushing yards in either of the past two seasons.

The Bears offense ranked 31st in the NFL in third-down percentage in 2020. Chicago's success rate was 34.6 percent (71 of 205).

Chicago defense

Chicago allowed the second-fewest rushing touchdowns in the NFL (11) in 2020.

The Bears were the fifth-best defense in the league last season in red zone percentage, allowing opponents to score touchdowns on just 54.7 percent of their possessions inside the 20-yard line.

Bears Roster Refresher

Added: QB Andy Dalton, RB Damien Williams, WR Marquise Goodwin, CB Desmond Trufant

First two picks of 2021 NFL Draft: Ohio State QB Justin Fields at No. 11 overall (after trading up) and Oklahoma State T Teven Jenkins at 39

Departed (new team if player has signed or was traded)/contract expired/waived/unsigned: QB Mitchell Trubisky (Bills), WR Cordarrelle Patterson (Falcons), T Charles Leno, Jr., DL Brent Urban (Cowboys), Roy Robertson-Harris (Jaguars), LB Barkevious Mingo (Falcons), CB Kyle Fuller (Broncos), CB Buster Skrine

Icebreakers

Chicago made the most aggressive move of the first round, vaulting up from 20th overall to select Fields. The former Buckeye will join Dalton and returning QB Nick Foles as the Bears move past the Mitchell Trubisky era. … The Bears drafted offensive players with each of their first five picks of the 2021 NFL Draft. Chicagobears.com's Larry Mayer noted that's the first such occurrence in team history since using six selections in a row to open the 1960 NFL Draft. … Allen Robinson II is back for his fourth season in Chicago and is playing on the franchise tag. He's totaled 255 catches for 3,151 yards and 17 scores so far as a Bear.

— By @pcraigers