This Game Could Keep the Vikings From Making the Playoffs

There was no Minneapolis Miracles in 2019, but the Vikings had a really good season in picking up a Wild Card playoff win against the Saints.

As the 2020 schedule takes shape, head coach Mike Zimmer needs to have his team ready to play on the road at Seattle in Week 5.

Ready for 2020.#Skol pic.twitter.com/ag6pjE5meN
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) May 7, 2020

Minnesota played the Seahawks well on the road in 2019, but suffered a 37-30 loss at CenturyLink Field, one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. Russell Wilson and the offense carved up Minnesota’s defense on Monday Night Football. In the second week of October, Minnesota will have to play Russell Wilson and the Seahawks once again at CenturyLink on Sunday Night.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins has a terrible record in primetime games and against teams over .500 in winning percentage, and this game will pose the exact same challenge. The lights will be bright in Seattle, and Wilson and company return a lot of talent from last year’s team that made the offense so electrifying.

Can someone tell me why Seattle never has to come to Minnesota in the regular season? And in Week 5, the Vikings play the Seahawks in Seattle on SNF, after 2 straight years playing on MNF in Seattle? That's a raw deal
— VikeFans (@VikeFans) May 8, 2020

Although it is early, this is the kind of game that can determine not only Minnesota’s standings in the NFC North, but its outlook in the entire conference in general. With an early matchup with a fellow playoff team from last season that it lost to, Minnesota needs to buckle down defensively to contain Wilson and get a win on the road.