Minnesota Vikings 2020 NFL schedule: 5 must-win games

If the Vikings have lofty aspirations of winning the NFC North and potentially being the No. 1 seed in the entire NFC playoffs, then Minnesota absolutely has to beat the Green Bay Packers at home. They cannot get swept by a team as strong as Green Bay and expected to earn a division crown this fall. A loss at Lambeau isn’t shameful, but a loss at home means a certain Wild Card berth.

This will be one of Minnesota’s hardest games at home, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a winnable one. Again, Minnesota has the home schedule to potentially go 8-0. There won’t be a team heading to beautiful U.S. Bank Stadium this fall that looks to be vastly superior to the Vikings. Green Bay may have gone 13-3 last season, but that was an incredibly soft 13-3 for the Packers.

Frankly, if the Vikings drop this game at home, it almost certainly means they’re not winning in Green Bay. To put it bluntly, a home loss to the Packers could signify a dreadful 2-4 mark in the division with only home wins vs. the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions. Minnesota could sweep the Bears and the Lions, but a home loss to the Packers only leaves a sour taste in their mouth.

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As with many games on this list, a win over Green Bay would serve as a tremendous confidence booster for the Vikings. It would stand as another marquee win for Kirk Cousins and another one that will only help ensure the Vikings of a top-seven seed in the NFC next season. But if they don’t win this game at home, then Minnesota won’t win the NFC North for the first time in three years.