FanPost

2017 Minnesota Vikings Schedule: Goals & Predictions

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In 2015 the Minnesota Vikings were a team on the rise. Through an array of mishaps and injuries, the wheels would fall off a promising 2016 season. The Vikings return in 2017 with an improved roster, and more solidified coaching staff that saw a potentially better free agency and draft. The team has the talent to have a successful season, but can they build on the confidence being exhibited in OTAs and mini camp?

The schedule starts off fairly tough for the first couple games before becoming more manageable (at least on paper), for the first half of the schedule until the team looks to be tested on whether, or not they are for real down the stretch. To have a winning season there must be improvement from the QB position. Bradford did do well with the hand he was dealt in '16, but must improve on deep and intermediate passes. His completion percentages are fine, but the number of those attempts needs to double, if not triple. With an improved receiving corp, expectations are higher. This should also help Dalvin Cook, Jerrick McKinnon, and Latavius Murray in the running game, which the added talent alone should give a significant boost. For both of these areas to have a shot at being consistently successful, the offensive line just needs to put forth average play, and there are many who think the offensive linemen will be capable of doing a a little better than that. Added depth to the interior defensive line with Jaleel Johnson and Datone Jones to offset the loss of Shariff Floyd should bode fairly well into improving the rushing defense. Young players that are deserving are going to have to be given the opportunity to succeed. Zimmer has to learn to abandon the notion of sitting the majority of young players. That is unproven strategy that only works for the players that are not ready. Talented rookie and second year players must be put in games, especially when they are the more talented option. Now he has not done this with every young player, and while it is better to sit and learn for a year or so for some players; it is better for others that have the talent to see the field earlier. This year's situation will force Zimmer's hand because of the situation with some players like Cook, Alexander, Treadwell, and likely others; hopefully most of these young players will rise to the occasion. Mike Zimmer potentially relinquishing defensive play calling to George Edwards will allow him to focus more on the team as a whole. That should see areas such as clock management, player development and strategy improve. Now, he has already done well in developing players and scheming against opponents, and many already think of Zimmer as good head coach, but I think the potential is there for him to be one of the best coaches in football, and he might just be scratching the surface of how good he can be, especially if he begins to really embrace the intricacies of the offensive side of the ball.

2017 Minnesota Vikings schedule

Week one: vs New Orleans Saints-60% chance of winning. This Monday night match up against one of the biggest rivals outside of the division is a must win that brings extra incentive as Adrian Peterson will start his eleventh season in Minnesota, only this time will be playing for the enemy. This is a good test for the defense to start the year, and the offense will have a favorable situation to showcase improvement.

Week two: at Pittsburgh Steelers-50% chance of winning. Going into Pittsburgh will be another difficult, yet must win situation. The defense faces another one of the league's best quarterbacks, and the performance of Trae Waynes and McKenzie Alexander will factor into this game significantly. This is a game where the offense will potentially have to step up, and score more than the 21 point target Zimmer & Co. are shooting for. I, personally would like to have heard that mark be 24 instead of 21. This should be a good test for the Vikings running backs, as Pittsburgh had the best rushing defense in 2016.

Week three: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers-50% chance of victory. Tampa is a team that is in a similar state as the Vikings, and while some see this as an easier game on the schedule; I can guarantee you that most Buc fans have this game circled as a win for them on their schedule. Playing at home should give the Vikings the edge in this one.

Week four: vs Detroit Lions-65% chance of winning. Minnesota could have won both match ups last year, and will not take this game lightly. The Vikings will want to make a statement in their first divisional game of the season.

Week five: at Chicago Bears-65% chance of winning. Playing in the Windy City is not always a favorable situation for Minnesota historically, but the Bears organization is in disarray, and Zimmer will put forth an emphasis of winning these early divisional games. As long as the Vikings do not think all they have to do is show up, they should win convincingly.

Week six: vs Green Bay Packers-50% chance of victory. For the third week in a row Minnesota plays all of its division rivals. This will likely be Minnesota's toughest game so far into the season. This will be a must win for the Vikings even if they are undefeated at this point. It should be a close game, but with the offense being potentially better and the game being at U.S. Bank Stadium, the edge will go to the Vikings.

Week seven: vs Baltimore Ravens-60% chance of winning. Minnesota matches up fairly well to the Ravens (at least in my opinion). Minnesota enjoys a second week in a row at home against a solid Ravens team. I like the Vikings passing defense vs Flacco, and think this is also a game where Dalvin Cook could do well.

Week eight: at Cleveland Browns (London)-75% chance of winning. Fortunately this overseas game in London does not count against the Vikings as a home game. I think Minnesota wins, but do not think it will be as easy as many do. This is another one of those games where Zimmer has push his players to fight as though they are playing one of the league's best. As long as the team is disciplined, they should go into the bye week on a high note.

Week nine: bye

Week ten: at Washington Redskins-50% chance of winning. It will be interesting to see how the team responds coming back from their bye week playing a formidable opponent on the road. Un less the wheel fall off, Washington should have a pretty good team in '17, and Minnesota is going to have to roll up their sleeves to win this one. The offense and defense will have to play complimentary football if they are to walk away with the win. This game could also have play off implications.

Week eleven: vs Los Angeles Rams-65% chance of winning. The Vikings should match up well against the Rams, as Bradford faces his former team. Look for Bradford to have a good game, and many of the players stepping up to help him in doing so. The Rams are too early in their rebuilding process to pose any real threat to Minnesota as long as the Vikings play disciplined and fundamentally sound football.

Week Twelve: at Detroit Lions-55% chance of winning. For the second year in a row the Vikings will face the Lions on Thanksgiving. The Lions won a lot of close games last year, and while I don't expect Detroit to fall of the completely; I do think they will lose at least a couple more games this year, and two of them should come at the hands of the Vikings. Winning this game should really solidify the Vikings standings in the division.

Week thirteen: at Atlanta Falcons-50% chance of victory. Traveling down to Georgia to play the NFC defensing champion Atlanta Falcons in their new stadium will be an exciting game that many will favor the Falcons. The NFC South does have a history of their teams being up and down from one year to the next, and the Vikings defeated the NFC champions last season who were from the same division in the Carolina Panthers. By this time in the season the team and fans should know exactly who the 2017 Minnesota Vikings are, and not only could this game have play off implications, but could also be seen as a more winnable game by then if Minnesota can play up to their potential consistently.

Week fourteen: at Carolina Panthers-55% chance of victory. Carolina should bounce back in '17. To what extent remains to be seen. Two NFC South opponents in a row on the road will be tough, and the Vikings have to split these two games at minimum. There's no doubt Carolina will not be overlooking Minnesota, and will be wanting to exact their revenge. I don't know if they get it done though, but this should be a very good game as well, as the schedule is really starting to become tougher.

Week fifteen: vs Cincinnati Bengals-55% chance of winning. This is a game the players will have all the motivation in the world, as they will want to bring home a victory for their coach against his former team. The schedule continues with tougher competition, but the Vikings will have an advantage playing at home. The offense and defense will both have their hands full in a game that could be scarce on points. Whoever the Vikings kicker is could go on to determine whether, or not the Vikings win this one. If the kicker does indeed do his job, and the offense can maintain drives and win the time of possession, Minnesota should win a close one.

Week sixteen: at Green Bay Packers-50% chance of winning. This could be the most difficult game of the season, as it has been in many other seasons. Conveniently, the Vikings will play their second game against Packers in Green Bay, as it has coincidentally has happened over 80% of the time since the turn of the century. That's okay though, the Vikings need to be able to win in any circumstances, as we've seen time and time again Minnesota isn't exactly on the short list of teams many feel the league gives advantages to. There's no doubt this game could very likely go a long way in deciding who will win the NFC North, while also having significant play off implications.

Week seventeen: vs Chicago Bears-60% chance of victory. By this time, hopefully the Vikings have already clinched a play off birth. I do not see the Zimmer exactly resting any starters for this game though. And it is likley that the division crown will still be up for grabs between the Green Bay and Minnesota. Finishing the regular season at home is plus, as the Vikings dominated the Bears in last year's season finale. I don't know if it will be quite the same blow out, but I do think Minnesota wins the game, as Zimmer likely will not allow players to start looking forward to the post season.

There are six games I see where the Vikings will have about a 50% chance to win, and if they can win half of those that will only be three losses there. Unfortunately, there are always one or two games the Vikings end up losing that they probably shouldn't. They do win one or two they weren't supposed to as well. If the season does unfold similarly to this, Minnesota should finish the season with between a 10-6 & 13-3 record. I thought they would finish with a 12-4 record last year, and was of course not even close. Do I think the Vikings win 13 games this year? I don't know; it's possible. I do think the Vikings get back on track, and are a quality team consistently for the next few years, and I think that starts this year with the team getting more than 10 wins. Maybe they win 11, maybe 12, hell, maybe everything goes right instead of wrong and we see the Vikings win 13 games. That being said, this is a play off caliber team, and it starts with taking care of the division, and reclaiming the NFC North crown.

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.