DAILY CLIPS

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020 LOCAL NEWS: Saturday, May 9, 2020

Pioneer Press

Vikings draftee Justin Jefferson: ‘Be on the lookout for touchdown celebrations’ By Bob Sansevere https://www.twincities.com/2020/05/08/vikings-draftee-justin-jefferson-be-on-the-lookout-for-touchdown-celebrations/

Former Vikings coach Mike Tice having a blast with his podcast. ‘He’s like a kid again.’ By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2020/05/08/former-vikings-coach-mike-tice-having-a-blast-doing-a-podcast/

Star Tribune

Scheduled road games after short week to test the Vikings again in 2020 By Andrew Krammer https://www.startribune.com/scheduled-road-games-after-short-week-to-test-the-vikings-again-in-2020/570329262/

NATIONAL NEWS: Saturday, May 9, 2020

Maven Media

Ranking Every Vikings Game in 2020 From Easiest to Toughest By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/ranking-vikings-games-2020-schedule-easiest-toughest

Vikings Have 12th-Easiest 2020 Schedule Based on Projected Win Totals By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/vikings-2020-strength-of-schedule-projected-win-totals

MULTIMEDIA NEWS: Saturday, May 9, 2020

Around The NFL: Can't-Miss Games On The 2020 Schedule By NFL Network https://www.vikings.com/video/around-the-nfl-can-t-miss-games-on-the-2020-schedule

Paul Allen Joins Dawn Mitchell to Discuss 2020 Schedule By KMSP http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=b89a71c6-a8b8-4b40-8cff-256fc2b61e92

VIKINGS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK: Saturday, May 9, 2020

Vikings Historic Season Opener vs. Packers Generates Most Buzz on Twitter By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/vikings-historic-season-opener-vs-packers-generates-most-buzz-on-twitter

Lunchbreak: Experts Think Vikings-Saints Will Be 1 of NFL's Best Games in 2020 By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/experts-think-vikings-saints-will-be-1-of-nfl-s-best-games-in-2020

PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 5/9/20

Vikings draftee Justin Jefferson: ‘Be on the lookout for touchdown celebrations’

By Bob Sansevere

LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who led college football with 111 receptions this past season, was the Vikings’ first selection in April’s NFL draft. He chatted with Pioneer Press columnist Bob Sansevere about a lot of things, including his drive to be the best and his affinity for dancing in the end zone after touchdowns.

I want to be the best ever to do it. I want to be the best receiver to ever play the game. That’s just something I’ve been looking forward to my whole life.

I always was lightly recruited. I always was the last to receive an offer. Those type of things made me want to be the best. I always felt the urge to beat everybody else at my position. I’ll definitely have that feeling going into the league. I’m going to have that my whole career.

I wasn’t always this type of receiver. I always was that small receiver. Going into college, I was 6-foot, 175 pounds. I’m about 6-2 and weigh from 200-203 now. I didn’t have those measurables to be that high-caliber receiver. I put in the extra work when I went to LSU. I definitely wasn’t this type of receiver in high school, so I understand why I wasn’t highly recruited. It’s something I keep on my shoulder that I think about whenever I play.

I always was a dancer. We always had family events and gatherings. We’d put on some music and all start dancing. When I got to college and started scoring touchdowns, I thought I’d show my personality to the whole world with my dancing. It took off from there and everybody kind of blew it up.

(My dances are) kind of whatever I come up with. Before the games, me and (fellow LSU wideout Ja’Marr (Chase) would think of some stuff we could do when we score. We had a whole rehearsal before the games. It was kind of fun. We’d have fun moments. We didn’t overthink things. We’d just be ourselves and let the game come to us.

“The Griddy” definitely was one of our favorite dances. “The Beenie Weenie” also was a fun one for us. It’s like a New Orleans-type dance. A lot of people don’t really know the New Orleans culture and what we do down here. So just showing that on national TV in front of the whole world, it kind just shows the culture and what we do down here.

The dancing is all self taught. I guess over time, I’d get better and better. After a while, the dance moves look good enough to be on national TV. We all put our own little sauce into our dance moves.

I’m a fan of Adam (Thielen) and a lot of the other guys. They have fun in the end zone just like I do. We’re definitely going to be thinking about some touchdown celebrations. Be on the lookout for them.

A lot of people have told me that I should be on “Dancing With the Stars.” I might be joining that this upcoming year.

I’d have to say I’m a better receiver than dancer even though my dancing skills are up to par.

Jets is my nickname. My high school friends gave it to me. I always was pretty fast. I always was pretty quick. My friends would say, “You’re running like a jet because you’re fast and going up and catching the ball and doing these fantastic things on the field.” Ever since then, everybody started calling me Jets. And I kind of like it.

My favorite artist would have to be Drake. Drake has been killing the game for a long time now and he’s been making hit after hit.

I have that ability to play all over the field and make plays whenever the ball is in my hands. There’s a lot more growing I need to do. There’s a lot more information I need to gather to improve my game another step. My game has been upcoming.

I want to be one of the main guys from Minnesota, and I want to do whatever it takes to get us to a . If it has to do with starting or if it has to be playing on special teams, it’s doing whatever to help my team win.

If I could time travel, I would go back to last year. Last year was just a dream really, having a perfect season and being with those different caliber guys. Just having 14 players drafted (from LSU), that’s just crazy.

My favorite cereal as a kid was Cinnamon Toast Crunch. That was the all-time favorite. That sweet taste and cinnamony taste was to die for.

I’m a movie guy. I’m a big Denzel Washington fan.

Comedies? I like movies Kevin Hart are in.

I have no idea what I’d be doing if I wasn’t playing football. I couldn’t even tell you that. Football has been pretty much everything for me ever since I was 8 years old. I never stopped playing football. Who knows what situation I’d be in if I wasn’t playing football.

Fun fact is, I always played quarterback until I got to high school. I was trying to follow the footsteps of my oldest brother. My whole youth career I wanted to play quarterback and be like my brother, Jordan. When I went to high school, receiver was just a right fit for me. When I started as a receiver my freshman year in high school, I was terrible. I wasn’t used to running routes. It definitely was hard at first.

It means a lot (to have had 111 catches last season). You have to think about who was at LSU: Dwayne Bowie, Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr. Tons of other guys went to LSU and didn’t get to reach that 111 catches. To say I’m the only one to do so, it feels great. It feels amazing. This was just the start of making history. There’s a lot of time left in my career, so I definitely have to make the best of it.

I think the worst thing I got in trouble for as a kid was mostly school. School wasn’t for me. I hated school to the core. I mostly got punished and got in trouble for not doing homework or failing a test. I really wasn’t a bad child growing up.

I was an Odell fan growing up. Now being able to talk to him and other guys in the league, it feels weird. It feels like I’m living a dream. Just being on the same level as them and thinking about other people that look at me the same way, it feels amazing and it feels good to be that role model.

Who would my game remind you of? Odell is one of them. Davante Adams. Keenan Allen. There are a lot of players I have patterned my game after. I’ve watched a lot of film on those guys, seeing what they run and how they run, and imitating that and putting my own little touch on it. It just shows if you watch film and pay attention to everybody on the field, you can go out there and do the same thing.

My sophomore year, I had a lot of drops. Coming into my junior year and working with Coach Joe Brady and doing different catching drills and catching tennis balls, all of that played a part in the season and definitely helped my hands.

My favorite food has to be crawfish etouffee. My dad makes it a lot.

God made me the way I am for a reason. I’m just happy I am in this situation and that I am classified as one of the best receivers in this class. I’m excited I’m getting this opportunity and excited God put me in this place for a reason.

It’s kind of hard now, not having a trainer to work with or even just a big group of guys to work with and make us perform better. Now that you have to do it individually, you have to be mentally focused for everything and be independent until we are able to be in big groups again. You can see who wants it more and who doesn’t.

PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 5/9/20

Former Vikings coach Mike Tice having a blast with his podcast. ‘He’s like a kid again.’

By Chris Tomasson

After Mike Tice retired from coaching in February 2018, his son set a personal betting line on how long his mom would be able to stand dad sitting around the house.

“I had the over-under on mom killing him at 18 months,” Nate Tice, who lives in Las Vegas, said with laugh.

As it has turned out, all is well in the Tice household in Victor, Wash. The former Vikings coach is not driving his wife Diane crazy. He has found a new pursuit to occupy his time and remain connected with football.

Tice, a Vikings assistant from 1996-2001 and the team’s head coach from 2002-05, has started the podcast “Odds & Ends with Mike Tice.” Tice, 61, began it early last year as an audio podcast that first focused on horse racing, his other sporting passion. Last fall, he expanded it to football, and it went to a video format.

Former head coach Mike Tice, who retired from coaching in February 2018, began last year the podcast “ Odds & Ends with Mike Tice.’’ He is pictured in his studio in his home in Victor, Wash. (Courtesy of Mike Tice) “I was bored,” said Tice, who ended his NFL coaching career as the Oakland Raiders’ offensive line coach from 2015-17. “I wanted to stay engaged. The first year I sat out after I retired, I was not engaged. I traveled during the football season. But when you sit out a year, you want to get back in it, and one of the things my son said was, ‘Why don’t you start a podcast?’ ”

Nate Tice, an Edina High School graduate and former Wisconsin quarterback, has NFL experience as an assistant coach and in the front office. He helps his father on the podcasts, providing technological advice and appearing on draft preview episodes last month. But usually it is his dad’s show.

After spending $50,000 on equipment, Tice has a studio in his home, which is an hour southwest of Seattle. While he admits he isn’t exactly tech savvy, he has learned enough to have guests using Zoom and post the podcasts on YouTube.

For draft preview shows last month, his guests included Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs, who was the No. 13 overall pick by Tampa Bay, and former Vikings Pro Bowl safety Corey Chavous, who runs the website DraftNasty.com. On shows last season, guests included Vikings coach and Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson.

“It gives me something to do,” Tice said. “It keeps me engaged. It makes me have to study all the teams, which is good. … The way I look at it, if I continue to work at it, this podcast can get better and better. It’s my first foray into media. If I can make a little side living off it, it’ll be fun.”

It might be hard for Tice to get better at one aspect of the podcast. Last season, he picked several NFL games each week against the spread, and the results were astounding. He went 31-17-1, a percentage of 64.3, and correctly picked his last 13 games in a row.

Tice’s Super Bowl pick was Kansas City beating San Francisco 35-28. Not bad. The Chiefs won 31-20.

With all this success, and with Nate living in Las Vegas, did Tice have his son put down some bets on his picks? Not exactly.

“We don’t have sports betting in Washington, so every once in a while, I’ll tell him to bet $25 on a game,” Tice said. “I was talking to this guy who lives in New York, and he said, ‘$25 a game? You can’t buy a sandwich for $25.’ I said, ‘I just enjoy being right.’ ”

Nate Tice said his father has tremendous football knowledge and picks the games simply for fun. He said his father usually doesn’t even look at the point spread until after he’s evaluated an upcoming game.

“He understands the flow of a season really well and how things affect teams,” Nate Tice said. “He’ll look at a game and say, ‘I think they’re going to beat them by 10.’ Then he’ll see the spread, and it’s like 3 1/2, and he’ll say, “Oh, I’m taking them.’ ”

Nate Tice, 30, is planning to open an insurance agency in Las Vegas while also looking into possibly getting back into football. He has been a scouting assistant for the and a quality control coach with the Raiders when his father was on the staff. He was the personnel director for the Atlanta Legends of the Alliance of American Football in 2019 before the spring league folded midway through its first season.

Mike Tice had been on the Raiders’ staff under head coach , a former Vikings teammate when Tice was a player. He retired after Del Rio was fired following the 2017 season and replaced by Jon Gruden.

“I do miss being around the guys, and I do miss teaching,” said Tice, a brash New York native. “But guys now, they don’t want big-mouth 61-year-old Mike Tice telling them what to do. … Kids are different now, the coaching technique style is different, but, of course, you’re going to miss something if you did it for 35 years.”

After playing quarterback at Maryland and going undrafted, Tice was an NFL tight end with Seattle, Washington and Minnesota from 1981-95. He was with the Vikings from 1992-95, catching just 14 passes while being used mostly as a blocker.

After retiring as a player, Tice joined the Vikings’ staff under , spending 1996 as the tight ends coach and 1997-2001 as offensive line coach. During his five seasons coaching the line, the Vikings had five different players make a total of 10 Pro Bowls.

“He’s my football dad,” said center Matt Birk, who played for the Vikings from 1998-2008 and made four of his six career Pro Bowls with Tice as offensive line or head coach. “He knew what it took to play in the league for a long time. He just demanded toughness, and that was non-negotiable.”

When the Vikings and Green mutually agreed to part ways with one game left in the 2001 season, Tice took over as interim coach for the finale, a 19-3 loss at Baltimore.

Tice got the job on a regular basis in 2002, and went 32-32 in four seasons to make his overall head coaching record 32-33. He was hired when was Red McCombs, who was regarded as being frugal, owned the Vikings, then fired seven months after the current Wilf ownership group bought the team in May 2005.

The Vikings made the playoffs just once under Tice. After going 8-8 as a wild-card team in 2004, they beat NFC North champion Green Bay 31-17 on the road to open the postseason before losing 27-14 at Philadelphia the following week.

“I look at it as 32-32 and with a playoff win,” Tice said of his Vikings tenure. “And for the budget we had and for the financial decisions that were made for us, and for the lack of staff that we had, I’m really proud of what we did. … I was the lowest-paid head coach, the smallest staff in the league. We were behind the 8-ball at all times.”

Tice made $900,000 in his final season, 2005, as Vikings coach. By comparison, , hired by the Wilfs as his replacement, earned $2.5 million in his first season as the Vikings began to spend more money.

“Red didn’t spend a nickel on the team,” said Corbin Lacina, a Vikings guard from 1999-2002. “We had, like, four working shower heads in the locker room. It was ridiculous. There wasn’t air conditioning in some rooms. He didn’t put anything into the team. But Mike, he did the best he could. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mike. He was a very good football coach.”

Birk agreed that Tice made the best of the situation.

“Ownership at that point really wasn’t committed to winning,” Birk said. “We weren’t signing big free agents, we didn’t have that commitment from the top. But under Mike, we went out and played tough, hard-nosed football. It was pretty incredible that we had a .500 record in those four years. It was pretty amazing because of what he had to work with.”

Tice’s teams had records of 6-10 in 2002, 9-7 in 2003, 8-8 in 2004 and 9-7 in 2005. He called his greatest regular- season memory a 32-31 victory at New Orleans in 2002 when the Vikings didn’t go for a tie to force overtime after scoring a touchdown with five seconds left. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper, after fumbling a snap in the shotgun, ran in a two-point conversion for the win.

As for the top overall memory, that one is easy. It was the playoff win at Lambeau Field, forever known as the game in which Vikings receiver simulated mooning the crowd after a 34-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.

“Very proud of winning a road playoff game in Green Bay,” Tice said. “That win was a great memory. But then, of course, there’s a lot of bad memories, too.”

Heading that list for worst on-field moment was an 18-17 loss at Arizona in the 2003 regular-season finale, which kept the Vikings out of the playoffs. The Cardinals won on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Josh McCown to Nate Poole on fourth-and-25 on the final play of the game.

Poole caught the ball while being knocked out of the end zone, and it was ruled a force out. The NFL changed that rule five years later, requiring a receiver to have both feet in bounds even if forced out.

“That one crushed me mentally, and it was just a shame,” Tice said. “I’ll never forget a couple of years later, after they changed the rule, I got a call from (then NFL vice president of officiating) Mike Pereira, and he said, ‘I was thinking about you today when we changed the rule.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, thanks a lot. That really helps me a lot.’ (Watching replays still) makes me sick to my stomach.”

As for Tice’s lowest off-field moment, that was the Love Boat scandal, a reported sex party held when 17 Vikings players rented two boats on Lake Minnetonka during the bye week in October 2005. Tice knew nothing about the incident until after the fact.

Tice didn’t want to talk about it other than saying it it really bothered him. His son, then a junior in high school, said it was “real tough” on his father.

“It was kind of unfair to him a little bit because it’s like, ‘The players are on a bye week. What am I supposed to do? They’re grown men,’ ” said Nate Tice. “That stuff all stinks, especially as a kid in high school, and kids can be kind of mean. … They’d make jokes to me like, ‘Was your dad on the boat?’ I’m like, ‘Of course he wasn’t on the boat.’ Or, ‘Was he the captain?’ ”

That happened during the first season the Wilfs owned the team, and they were embarrassed by the incident. Even though he had nothing to do with it, Nate Tice said his father sensed then it would be very difficult to keep his job.

“Ownerships always want to have their own guys in there,” he said. “So, obviously that stuff doesn’t help, any off-field stuff.”

After being fired by the Vikings, Tice was an assistant with Jacksonville from 2006-09, with Chicago from 2010-12 and with Atlanta in 2014 before closing out his career in Oakland. He spent those seasons mostly coaching tight ends and the offensive line, but was the Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2012.

Since his retirement, Tice also has been active with The Mike Tice Foundation. Among other things, Tice said that over the past decade, $1.2 million has been raised for the Boys & Girls Club of Western Nevada.

The foundation had a big event scheduled for next month in Minden, Nev., that Tice said unfortunately has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. But his podcast has been rolling on.

“He’s doing great,” Nate Tice said. “It’s kind of fun seeing him with so much energy. He’s like a kid again.” PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 5/9/20

Scheduled road games after short week to test the Vikings again in 2020

By Andrew Krammer

The NFL has become a better juggler of its schedule over the years, leveling imbalances that previously struck an unlucky team or two. But many teams have annual bones to pick about repeated headaches, whether perceived or real.

The Vikings developed at least a couple gripes during coach Mike Zimmer’s tenure: traveling too much for Thursday night games and a larger imbalance between home and road prime-time games.

Well, the Vikings again play on the road off a short week — at New Orleans — and will play both night games on the road — at Seattle and Chicago. Minnesota is one of a handful of teams that, at least on paper in May, got the short end of the schedule’s quirks.

Many questions lack answers: Will fan environment be a factor in 2020? Will games even be played? The NFL’s contingency plans reportedly include pushing back the Super Bowl to fit a delayed season or a shortened slate eliminating Weeks 3 and 4, when no divisional games are scheduled, and moving Weeks 1 and 2 to the end of the year. However, the matchups are set. If there are home-field advantages this season, the 49ers cannot complain; four of San Francisco’s five prime-time games will be at home.

Here are five teams that didn’t get the easiest breaks.

Buccaneers

Yes, Tampa Bay got a lot of prime-time games and gets Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski — the 43-year-old Brady to 30-year-old Gronk version. But the NFL also handed Brady a scheduling anomaly that hasn’t surfaced since the 2010 Vikings, according to ESPN Stats & Information. For six games, the Bucs will be less rested than the opponent. That is a headache only a head coach might truly appreciate. Tampa Bay is tied for the third-worst rest differential (minus- 8 days), ahead of only Denver (-12) and Cincinnati (-12) for the season.

Patriots

Remember when New England played a cupcake run of quarterbacks to start last season? Times have changed as Bill Belichick’s Patriots will face Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, DeShaun Watson and Kyler Murray; the former two on the road in the first month and the final trio during a three-game November stretch. Judging opposing passers may be a better measure of a schedule’s difficulty than last year’s winning percentage, but for what it’s worth New England’s slate (.539) is the toughest by that measure as well. The Patriots are also one of four teams to play three straight road games.

Vikings

For the fifth time in seven seasons, Zimmer’s Vikings will hit the road on a short week. Minnesota is scheduled for the rare Christmas Day game — on a Friday afternoon — in New Orleans, a year after Zimmer finally led the first home Thursday game as Vikings coach (he missed the 2016 game vs. Dallas due to eye surgery). Only two of the Vikings’ seven Thursday games have been at home under Zimmer. Minnesota also twice hits the road at night, making for 13 of 22 prime-time games (59%) away from home in seven seasons.

Raiders

Jon Gruden might have to set a tight curfew. The Raiders’ first season on the Las Vegas Strip comes with six kickoffs at 10 a.m. locally; no other West Coast team has more than four. They include five in the Eastern time zone, where Gruden’s young team will have long flights and early mornings against the Panthers, Patriots, Browns, Falcons and Jets, starting with Carolina in Week 1. The Raiders also have an early kickoff in Kansas City against the Super Bowl- champions. Those six road trips might temper the excitement of four home prime-time games in the new Allegiant Stadium.

Chargers

First-round quarterback Justin Herbert and the new SoFi Stadium weren’t enough to net the lowly, yet talented, Chargers a single prime-time home game; they have two on the road. Their older Los Angeles brother, the Rams, tied for the NFL high with five nationally televised games. As coach Anthony Lynn tries to rebuild a young team, the Chargers will have to play four games with less rest than the opponent — one of seven teams with as many disadvantaged weeks. Like the Bucs and Vikings, the Chargers are also among the eight teams scheduled to face two opponents off a bye week. PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 5/9/20

Ranking Every Vikings Game in 2020 From Easiest to Toughest

By Will Ragatz

To celebrate the release of the Vikings' 2020 schedule, let's go ahead and rank all sixteen games from the easiest matchup on the slate to the absolute toughest. We'll break them into tiers to help you get a sense of which games the Vikings should win, which games are toss-ups, and which ones are going to be difficult.

Read: Five Takeaways From the Vikings' 2020 Schedule

Tier 1: Games the Vikings should win USATSI_11595320_168388404_lowres 16. Week 13 vs. Jaguars

This is the obvious answer as the easiest game on the Vikings' schedule. The Jaguars went 6-10 last year and are still riding with Gardner Minshew as their quarterback. He's going to have a tough time in U.S. Bank Stadium.

15. Week 9 vs. Lions

The Vikings have won five straight games against the Lions, who went just 3-12-1 last year. They should be better in 2020, but not by a lot.

14. Week 12 vs. Panthers

If fans are allowed to attend games this season, Teddy Bridgewater is going to get a massive standing ovation in his return to Minnesota. Once the game starts, he's probably not leading a rebuilding team to a road upset.

13. Week 17 at Lions

I would be very surprised if the Lions had anything to play for in this game, while the Vikings will hopefully have a playoff spot or seeding on the line.

12. Week 15 vs. Bears

This might seem like an odd placement considering the Bears have won four straight against the Vikings. But the Vikings rested their starters in last year's game in Minneapolis and had won five straight against Chicago at home prior to 2018. Neither Mitch Trubisky nor Nick Foles should scare Mike Zimmer's defense much.

11. Week 6 vs. Falcons

The Vikings only needed to throw ten passes to beat the Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium in last year's opener. They'll rely heavily on Dalvin Cook again and exploit the Falcons' poor pass protection to get after Matt Ryan.

Tier 2: Vikings should have a slight edge USATSI_13834375_168388404_lowres 10. Week 2 at Colts

I was tempted to put this game in the first tier, but the Colts have enough talent that they won't be easy to take down on the road. The reason I'm confident in the Vikings in this one is because of how awful Philip Rivers played against them when he was with the Chargers last year.

9. Week 4 at Texans

The Texans made the worst trade of the entire offseason when they gave up DeAndre Hopkins for a minimal return, but they still have Deshaun Watson. The issue is that their defense isn't particularly fearsome anymore.

8. Week 1 vs. Packers

The Vikings had won three straight games against the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium before falling without Dalvin Cook last year. Aaron Rodgers will always make Green Bay a tough team to beat, but the Packers didn't get better this offseason and seem primed to regress from 13 wins.

Tier 3: True toss-ups USATSI_13653044_168388404_lowres 7. Week 3 vs. Titans

The Titans made it to the AFC Championship game last year behind a strong defense, the running of Derrick Henry, and efficient play from Ryan Tannehill. Sound like a familiar strategy? This one will be an early-season slugfest in Minneapolis.

6. Week 11 vs. Cowboys

The Cowboys' offense got even better with the addition of CeeDee Lamb in the first round. Defending Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup will be a tall task for the Vikings' young cornerbacks. Still, the Vikings beat Dallas on the road last year so they'll be confident heading into this one.

ADVERTISING

Tier 4: Vikings will be underdogs USATSI_13742856_168388404_lowres 5. Week 10 at Bears (Monday night)

On paper, this game might not warrant a spot in the top five, especially given the Bears' QB situation. But there's just something about Soldier Field in primetime that terrifies me. The Bears' defense is still really good, which might be an issue.

4. Week 16 at Saints (Friday)

The Vikings walked into the Superdome during last year's playoffs and knocked off the Saints, so who's to say they can't do it again on Christmas Day? Well, Drew Brees and Michael Thomas might have something to say about it. The Saints are going to be fired up for revenge in this one.

3. Week 14 at Buccaneers

Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski on one offense is going to be a lot of fun to watch in 2020. It's not going to be a lot of fun for Zimmer and the Vikings to defend against Tampa's offense in this game.

2. Week 8 at Packers

The good news is that the Vikings will be coming off of their bye week for this game, giving them two full weeks to prepare for a huge matchup at Lambeau Field. The bad news is that the Packers are very tough to beat at home.

1. Week 5 at Seahawks

Death, taxes, and the Vikings playing a primetime game in Seattle. It's happening for the third straight year, and it's going to be Minnesota's toughest game of the season. Russell Wilson is still probably the most underrated elite quarterback in the NFL. PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 5/9/20

Vikings Have 12th-Easiest 2020 Schedule Based on Projected Win Totals

By Will Ragatz

There has been plenty of recent discussion about the difficulty of the Vikings' 2020 schedule, much of it stemming from the fact that their strength of schedule is tied for 10th-toughest based on 2019 records. The Vikings' 16 upcoming opponents went 131-123-2 last season, good for a winning percentage of 0.516.

However, using 2019 data isn't the best way to measure 2020 strength of schedule because it doesn't account for how teams changed in the offseason. The more accurate measure is to look at projected win totals for 2020. For example, the Buccaneers went 7-9 last year, but after signing Tom Brady, Tampa is projected by Vegas oddsmakers to win 9.5 or 10 games this season.

Jason Lisk of TeamRankings.com recently compiled every team's projected win totals from four major sportsbooks – DraftKings, FanDuel, Westgate, and William Hill – and averaged them out to create a more accurate strength of schedule ranking. In this ranking, the Vikings actually have the 21st-toughest schedule this year, also known as the 12th-easiest. Their opponents have an average projected wins total of 128.4. You can view the full list here.

The team that has the biggest negative disparity from 2019 wins to 2020 projected wins is the Green Bay Packers, who the Vikings play twice. After winning 13 games last year, the four sportsbooks give the Packers 8.5, 9.0, 9.0, and 9.5 projected wins in 2020 for an average of 9.0.

The Saints also go from 13 wins last season to 10.38 average projected wins, the Texans go from 10 to 7.5, and the Seahawks from 11 to 9.25. On the other end of the spectrum, the Lions go from 3.5 wins (their tie counts as 0.5 wins) to 6.63 and the Bucs go from 7 to 9.63. Here is the full list of differences between 2019 wins and average projected wins, ranked from fallers to risers.

Green Bay Packers (13 wins in 2019, 9.0 projected wins in 2020) = -4.0 (13 wins in 2019, 10.38 projected wins in 2020) = -2.62 Houston Texans (10 wins in 2019, 7.5 projected wins in 2020) = -2.5 (11 wins in 2019, 9.25 projected wins in 2020) = -1.75 (6 wins in 2019, 4.75 projected wins in 2020) = -1.25 Tennessee Titans (9 wins in 2019, 8.5 projected wins in 2020) = -0.5 (8 wins in 2019, 8.0 projected wins in 2020) = 0 Atlanta Falcons (7 wins in 2019, 7.38 projected wins in 2020) = +0.38 Carolina Panthers (5 wins in 2019, 5.5 projected wins in 2020) = +0.5 Indianapolis Colts (7 wins in 2019, 8.63 projected wins in 2020) = +1.63 Dallas Cowboys (8 wins in 2019, 9.63 projected wins in 2020) = +1.63 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7 wins in 2019, 9.63 projected wins in 2020) = +2.63 Detroit Lions (3.5 wins in 2019 [one tie], 6.63 projected wins in 2020) = +3.13 When you add all of those differences up, counting the Packers and Lions twice, Vikings opponents are projected to combine for 3.6 fewer wins compared to their 2019 total. That's how you get from 132 wins (based on the 131-123-2 record and counting the Lions' two ties as a half-win each) to 128.4, which takes the Vikings' strength of schedule from T-10th to 21st.

When looking to Vegas's views of the future, the Vikings' schedule doesn't actually appear to be all that bad.

PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 5/9/20

Vikings Historic Season Opener vs. Packers Generates Most Buzz on Twitter

By Eric Smith

EAGAN, Minn. — There's always anticipation and excitement surrounding Week 1 in the NFL, as every team around the league is brimming with a clean slate and playoff hopes.

But when your season opener is a historic home game against your biggest rival, the stakes are even higher.

Vikings fans have voted, and they have tabbed the Vikings-Packers matchup on Sept. 13 at U.S. Bank Stadium as the most-anticipated game of the 2020 season.

The first Border Battle in 2020 earned the most votes in a Twitter poll, with more than 50 percent of the nearly 5,000 total votes going toward the game.

Minnesota Vikings ✔ @Vikings · May 7, 2020 Replying to @Vikings And to close out the regular season?

38%at Tampa Bay 7%vs. Chicago 52%at New Orleans 3%at Detroit 6,808 votes•Final results

Minnesota Vikings ✔ @Vikings Which game are you looking forward to most in 2020?

51%vs. Green Bay 9%at Green Bay 9%vs. Dallas 31%at New Orleans 4,989 votes•Final results 42 10:06 AM - May 8, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 22 people are talking about this Minnesota is 54-62-3 all-time against Green Bay, including a 1-1 mark in the playoffs. The Vikings will open their 60th season in franchise history with a new twist on the annual matchup.

The rivals have met to open six previous seasons (1962, 1974, 1992, 1994, 2003 and 2008), but this will be the first time that Minnesota has ever hosted Green Bay in Week 1.

The Border Battle matchup beat out another highly-anticipated NFC game against a team that has evolved into a Vikings rival.

Minnesota's Week 16 game in New Orleans on Christmas Day finished second in the poll at 31.4 percent.

The Vikings and Saints have created some memorable playoff moments in recent years, whether it was Minnesota's road Wild Card win in overtime in January, or the 'Minneapolis Miracle' in January of 2018.

New Orleans has won 37 regular-season games over the past three seasons, compared to 31 such wins by Minnesota. But both teams have a pair of playoff victories in that span, with both of the Vikings wins coming against the Saints in dramatic fashion.

The Week 16 game is scheduled to be the fourth appearance by the Vikings on Christmas, which falls on a Friday this year. The team has played three previous games on Fridays.

Fans narrowed down the four finalists in Twitter polls based on each four-game quarter of the season.

An Inside Look at The NFL's Schedule Release Call To The Vikings The Vikings Week 11 home game against the Cowboys was third with 9.3 percent. The teams met in Dallas in 2019, with the Vikings securing a key 28-24 win that helped Minnesota get into the playoffs.

Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer, of course, got his start in the NFL as a Cowboys assistant coach in 1994 and was with the organization through the 2006 season. Dallas visited Minnesota in 2016, but Zimmer was unable to coach in the Thursday Night Football game because of emergency eye surgery.

Minnesota's annual trip to Lambeau Field ranked fourth in the final poll at 8.6 percent. The Vikings have a bye in Week 7 and will then head to Green Bay to finish out their regular-season series with the Packers.

The Vikings are 2-3-1 at Lambeau Field since Zimmer arrived in Minnesota. PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 5/9/20

Lunchbreak: Experts Think Vikings-Saints Will Be 1 of NFL's Best Games in 2020

By Eric Smith

The Vikings 2020 schedule was released Thursday night and has already been analyzed up and down by football pundits near and far.

But nearly everyone agrees that Minnesota's Week 16 road game in New Orleans, which will be played on Christmas Day, is among the most intriguing games to watch this season.

Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports had the matchup among his 10-best rivalry games featuring non-division opponents.

#VikingsHappyHour 2020 Schedule Reveal | Full Show DeArdo wrote:

New Orleans is certainly circling this game on its calendar after losing to the Vikings — in controversial fashion — in last year's Wild Card round. Saints fans also haven't gotten over Stefon Diggs' game-winning catch on the final play of the Vikings improbable win in the Divisional round of the 2017 playoffs. Those losses deprived the Saints (and Drew Brees, who is "stuck" on one Super Bowl win) from winning another Lombardi.

The pain isn't all on the Saints side, however, as Vikings fans are still getting over their team's overtime loss to the Saints in the 2009 NFC title game.

Narratives aside, this game will feature two teams with serious Super Bowl aspirations. The Saints, who added Emmanuel Sanders to their offense this offseason, enter the 2020 season with 26 wins over the past two years. The Vikings, who replaced Diggs with first-round pick Justin Jefferson, are looking to build off of last season's 10-6 campaign.

Additionally, Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated also had the late-December game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as one of his must-see games in 2020.

2020 Schedule in Photos The Vikings are set to celebrate their 60th NFL season in 2020. This Vikings 2020 NFL Schedule Gallery features key foes and offers a look at some throwback moments — near and far — against Minnesota's opponents.

Orr wrote:

A rare Christmas Day matchup (on a Friday!), which means most of us will miss it whilst jamming together seemingly unmatchable plastic ends of various toys. Still, I'm beginning to like what has become a yearly end-of-season Sean Payton rage fest as one supremely talented team after another falls just short of the big game. The Vikings victory last year in the playoffs (called by yours truly) has undoubtedly put them atop Payton's ever-expanding list of enemies.

On a local level, Vikings beat reporter Chad Graff of The Athletic had the Christmas Day game billed as the "can't- miss" matchup of the entire season.

Graff also noted that it won't be an easy task to win in New Orleans. He tabbed the game as the second-toughest on Minnesota's entire schedule.

Cousins Reacts To The 2020 Vikings Schedule Graff wrote:

On Christmas Day, there will be a lot on the line for two of the NFC's best teams in the last five years.

The Vikings return to the site of their playoff victory for a rematch against Drew Brees and Sean Payton. Matchups between Zimmer and Payton are always worth the price of admission, and it'll be fun to see if Zimmer has any more wrinkles (like lining up Danielle Hunter inside) for the Saints again.

This should be a fun contest so late in the season on Christmas Day.

The Week 16 tilt is scheduled to be the fourth appearance by the Vikings on Christmas, which falls on a Friday this year. The team has played three previous games on Fridays.

McShay: Vikings among teams that immediately improved after 2020 draft

It's been two weeks since the 2020 NFL Draft came to a close, but the praise is still rolling in for the Vikings.

Experts lauded Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman's work in the days following the draft with a strong report card, and now ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Todd McShay has joined the chorus.

McShay recently wrote that he believes the Vikings are among the five teams that immediately improved due to their draft haul. Minnesota made 15 picks in the draft, which was a seven-round record.

GMFB: Which Team Is In Better Shape Post-Draft, The Vikings or Packers? McShay wrote:

Even though Minnesota doesn't have Aaron Rodgers, it's clear it has the most well-rounded roster in the NFC North. And a big reason is the way General Manager Rick Spielman continues to approach the draft. The Vikings made a ridiculous 15 selections, including two first-rounders. And man, did they make some good ones.

Justin Jefferson is a great fit as a replacement for Stefon Diggs opposite Adam Thielen. The LSU receiver will do most of his work out of the slot, and he's probably the best contested-catch playmaker in the entire class. Jefferson will do the dirty work over the middle and can make some defenders miss with the ball in his hands. Minnesota followed up that pick by moving back a few spots in the first round and addressing the cornerback position with TCU's Jeff Gladney. With good man-to-man skills, he's a future starter and might break through as a top-three option in a barren CB room as a rookie.

McShay also liked what Spielman and his staff did after Day 1, too, as he believed the Vikings added plenty of talent and depth to help restock the roster.

Minnesota was just getting warmed up. Boise State tackle Ezra Cleveland was a steal at No. 58 overall. He has a lot of upper-body strength and will thrive in the Vikings zone-blocking scheme. If he can win the left tackle job, Riley Reiff can bump inside to guard and boost the line overall. I also like the late-round grab of Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley. He has a huge arm and sets up as a good long-term backup at value in Round 7.

If we want to talk about steals, though, I'm not sure it gets much better than Baylor defensive lineman James Lynch at No. 130 in Round 4. The athleticism and testing numbers aren't going to wow anyone, but his tape is impressive. He can play inside or outside, and he displays loads of power and a great ability to finish. In all, it was a really strong three days for the Vikings.

While McShay is a fan of the selection of Lynch, so was former Vikings defensive tackle John Randle.

The Hall of Famer texted Andre Patterson, the Vikings Co-Defensive Coordinator and defensive line coach, soon after the pick and expressed his excitement.