The Vikings announced their **2017 regular-season schedule** on Thursday.
Minnesota will follow its second regular-season game in London (Week 8 vs. Cleveland) with a bye in Week 9 before hitting the third quarter of its season.
The stretch includes three games in an 11-day span, including road trips to Washington on Nov. 12 and at Detroit on Thanksgiving for a second straight year. In between, Minnesota will host the Los Angeles Rams. The Vikings will cap this grouping by visiting the defending NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons in their first season at their new home.
Week 10
Vikings at Redskinsby @LindseyMNSports
Noon | Sunday, Nov. 12 | FedExField
Series results
Vikings W-L-T: 12-13-0
Home: 6-6-0; Away: 6-7-0
Last time in regular season:Vikings lost 26-20 on Nov. 13, 2016
Last time in regular season in Washington:Vikings lost 26-20 at Washington on Nov. 13, 2016
Washington's 2016 offensive rankings:
Total yards: 6,454 (3rd in NFL); Rushing yards: 1,696 (21st); Passing yards: 4,758 (2nd); Points/game: 24.8 (12th); Sacks allowed/pass play percentage: 3.79 percent (4th); Interception rate: 1.98 percent (12th); Average time of possession: 29:38 (22nd)
Washington's 2016 defensive rankings:
Total yards allowed/game: 377.9 (28th); Rushing yards allowed/game: 119.8 (24th); Passing yards allowed/game: 258.1 (25th); Points allowed/game: 23.9 (19th); Sacks/pass play: 6.45 percent (10th); Interception rate: 2.21 percent (16th)
Icebreakers:Minnesota has won four of its past six matchups against Washington. ... The Vikings narrowly fell to the Redskins in the teams' most recent meeting in 2016 and will look to rebound in 2017. … Last season, Washington placed in the top five of seven different offensive categories, including yards per game (third with 403.4) and passing yards per game (second with 297.4) behind quarterback Kirk Cousins, who appeared in the 2017 Pro Bowl. … Washington's kicker Dustin Hopkins made four field goals against the Vikings during the 2016 matchup. … Linebacker Mason Foster led the team in total tackles last season (123) and recorded nine against Minnesota. … Washington lost wide receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson in free agency and signed Terrelle Pryor.
View images of the Vikings opponents after the 2017 schedule was released on Thursday.
QB Drew Brees has thrown for 66,111 passing yards in his 16-year NFL career.
HC Sean Payton is 94-66 in his 10-year career as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
Willie Snead and Michael Thomas combined for 13 touchdowns and 2,032 receiving yards in 2016.
RB Le'Veon Bell ran for 1,226 yards, seven touchdowns and had 75 receptions in 2016.
QB Ben Roethlisberger threw for 3,819 yards, 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2016.
The Vikings are 0-2 in the regular season at Heinz Field.
QB Jameis Winston threw for 4,090 yards, 28 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 2016.
WR Mike Evans surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the third time in his three-year career in 2016 (1,321 yards).
In his first season as head coach Dirk Koetter led the Buccaneers to a record above .500 (10-6) for the first time since 2010.
QB Matthew Stafford's quarterback rating of 71.6 in 2016 was the best of his eight-year career.
WR Golden Tate caught 91 passes for 1,077 yards and four touchdowns in 2016.
HC Jim Caldwell enters his fourth season as head coach of the Lions with a 27-21 record in Detroit.
WR Cameron Meredith emerged as one of the Bears top targets in 2016 with 888 yards and 66 receptions.
LB Leonard Floyd had 7.0 sacks and 33 combined tackles in his first year in Chicago.
The Vikings are 58-52-2 against the Bears in the all-time series but just 2-9 in the past 11 at Soldier Field.
QB Aaron Rodgers threw for 40 touchdowns last season, his highest total since the 2011 season.
LB Clay Matthews finished the 2016 season with 24 tackles, including 5.0 sacks and a forced fumble in 12 games.
HC Mike McCarthy enters his 12th season as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers with a 114-61-1 record.
LB Terrell Suggs compiled three forced fumbles in his 13th season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2016.
HC John Harbaugh has been the head coach of the Ravens since 2008 and has a record of 85-59 in the regular season.
QB Joe Flacco threw for a career-high of 4,317 passing yards in 2016.
The Vikings will play as the road team against the Cleveland Browns at Twickenham Stadium in London in Week 8.
LB Jamie Collins had two interceptions, two forced fumbles and 79 combined tackles with the Patriots and Browns in 2016.
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer coached with Hue Jackson for two seasons with the Bengals (2012-13).
Bye Week
QB Kirk Cousins had 4,917 yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season.
CB Josh Norman had 67 combined tackles and three interceptions in his first season in Washington.
The Vikings lost 26-20 against the Redskins at FedEx Field in 2016.
QB Jared Goff, the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, went 0-7 as a starter last season.
RB Todd Gurley has run for 1,991 yards in his first two seasons in the NFL.
HC Sean McVay became the youngest head coach in NFL history when he was hired by the Los Angeles Rams earlier this offseason.
WR Marvin Jones had a career-high 930 receiving yards in 2016.
The Vikings are 71-38-2 against the Lions all-time but are 2-3 in the past five at Ford Field.
K Matt Prater hit the game-winning field goal against the Vikings in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day.
WR Julio Jones had 1,409 yards and six touchdowns in 2016.
QB Matt Ryan was the 2016 NFL MVP after posting 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The Falcons are set to open their inaugural season in Mercedes Benz Stadium.
QB Cam Newton threw for 3,509 yards, 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last season after winning the MVP in 2015.
LB Luke Kuechly compiled 102 combined tackles and one interception in 2016.
The Vikings defeated the Panthers 22-10 at Bank of America Stadium in 2016.
In nine games last season, WR A.J. Green had 66 receptions, 964 yards and four touchdowns before a season-ending injury.
QB Andy Dalton threw for 4,206 yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2016.
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer coached under Marvin Lewis for six seasons (2008-13) as defensive coordinator of the Bengals.
WR Jordy Nelson caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2016.
RB Ty Montgomery ran for 457 yards and three touchdowns in his transition year from wide receiver to the running back position.
The Vikings are 50-59-2 all-time against the Packers and have split the past two games there.
RB Jordan Howard broke the Bears rookie franchise record with 1,313 rushing yards in 2016.
Since John Fox took over as head coach of the Bears the Vikings are 3-1 against Chicago.
The Bears acquired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon in the offseason.
Week 11
Vikings vs. Ramsby @EricLSmith
Noon* | Sunday, Nov. 19 | U.S. Bank Stadium
Series results
Vikings W-L-T: 26-16-2
Home: 15-3-2; Away: 11-13
Last time in regular season:Vikings defeated Rams 21-18 in overtime on Nov. 8, 2015, in Minnesota
Last time in regular season in Minnesota:Vikings defeated Rams 21-18 in overtime on Nov. 8, 2015
Los Angeles' 2016 offensive rankings:
Total yards: 4,203 (32nd in NFL); Rushing yards: 1,252 (31st); Passing yards: 2,951 (31st); Points/game: 14.0 (32nd); Sacks allowed/pass play percentage: 9.14 percent (29th); Interception rate: 3.73 percent (31st); Average time of possession: 29:21 (25th)
Los Angeles' 2016 defensive rankings:
Total yards allowed/game: 337.0 (9th); Rushing yards allowed/game: 103.8 (16th); Passing yards allowed/game: 233.3 (10th); Points allowed/game: 24.6 (23rd); Sacks/pass play: 5.33 percent (25th); Interception rate: 1.72 percent (26th)
Icebreakers:The Vikings have defeated the Rams four straight times, including a thrilling overtime win in Week 9 of the 2015 season. … Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in that game. Joseph was credited with 10 tackles (seven solo), 0.5 sacks, three TFLs and two pressures in the victory. …This will be the first time since 1992 that the Vikings will play the Rams when the franchise is based in Los Angeles. … The Rams haven't had a winning season since 2003, although the franchise has gone 8-8 twice in that span. … Sean McVay is entering his first season with the Rams and first season as an NFL head coach. He is the youngest head coach in the league at 31 years old. … Los Angeles quarterback Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, played in eight games last season. He threw for 1,089 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions. … Vikings quarterback Case Keenum was the Rams primary starter in 2016.
Week 12
Vikings at Lions by @pcraigers
11:30 a.m. | Thursday, Nov. 23 | Ford Field
Series results
Vikings W-L-T: 71-38-2
Home:39-15-1; Away: 32-23-1
Last time in regular season:Lions defeated Vikings 16-13 last Thanksgiving (Nov. 24)
Last time in regular season in Detroit:Lions defeated Vikings 16-13 last Thanksgiving (Nov. 24)
Detroit's 2016 offensive rankings:
Total yards: 5,421 (21st in NFL); Rushing yards: 1,310 (30th); Passing yards: 4,111 (11th); Points/game: 21.6 (20th); Sacks allowed/pass play percentage: 6.23 percent (18th); Interception rate: 1.68 percent (10th); Average time of possession: 29:54 (20th)
Detroit's 2016 defensive rankings:
Total yards allowed/game: 5,676 (18th); Rushing yards allowed/game: 1,701 (18th); Passing yards allowed/game: 3,975 (19th); Points allowed/game: 22.4 (13th); Sacks/pass play: 4.74 percent (30th); Interception rate: 1.82 percent (25th)
Icebreakers:The NFC North has provided two playoff participants in seven of the past eight seasons and three in a row. … Detroit's defense ranked 30th in the NFL in red zone defense, allowing touchdowns on 36 of 53 possessions by opponents (67.9 percent), but limited the Vikings to touchdowns on three of eight red zone possessions (37.5 percent) across two games. … The Lions also ranked 30th in the NFL in average yards allowed on first downs (6.19). The Vikings ranked 21st in average yards allowed on first downs (5.54), which was slightly ahead of the league average of 5.47. … Matthew Stafford threw for 340 or more yards four times in 2016. There were 55 such performances across the league last season. He has thrown for 232 or fewer yards four times in six games against the Vikings in the Mike Zimmer era.
Week 13
Vikings at Falconsby @pcraigers
Noon* | Sunday, Dec. 3 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Series results
Vikings W-L-T: 18-11-0
Home: 11-4; Away: 7-7
Last time in regular season:Vikings defeated Falcons 20-10 at the Georgia Dome on Nov. 29, 2015
Last time in regular season in Minnesota:Vikings defeated Falcons 41-28 at the University of Minnesota on Sept. 28, 2014
Atlanta's 2016 offensive rankings:
Total yards: 6,653 (2nd in NFL); Rushing yards: 1,928 (5th); Passing yards: 4,725 (3rd); Points/game: 33.8 (1st); Sacks allowed/pass play percentage: 6.89 percent (24th); Interception rate: 1.30 percent (6th); Average time of possession: 30:11 (18th)
Atlanta's 2016 defensive rankings:
Total yards allowed/game: 371.2 (25th); Rushing yards allowed/game: 104.5 (17th); Passing yards allowed/game: 266.7 (28th); Points allowed/game: 25.4 (27th); Sacks/pass play: 5.19 percent (26th); Interception rate: 1.83 percent (24th)
Icebreakers:Matt Ryan led the NFL in touchdown percentage (7.1 percent), yards per attempt (9.3), yards per completion (13.3) and passer rating (117.1). Ryan's passer rating was 18 points better than his previous high of 99.1 in 2012, and he had six games with more than 300 yards passing, including a 503-yard day against Carolina. … Julio Jones led the NFL in receiving yards per game for the second straight season (116.9 per game in 2015 and 100.6 in 2016) and ranked second with 1,409 yards. Jones has averaged 69 receiving yards across two games against the Vikings since 2014. … Vic Beasley led the NFL with 15.5 sacks and was named to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro in just his second season. Beasley, the eighth overall pick of 2015, edged out the 12.5 apiece for draft classmates Markus Golden (Arizona, second round, 58th overall) and Vikings Danielle Hunter (third round, 88th overall). Golden and Hunter finished tied for third with Buffalo's Lorenzo Alexander, one back of Denver's Von Miller.
- Time subject to change due to flex scheduling.
