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Minnesota Vikings 2021 NFL schedule: 5 must-win games

By Mike Phillips

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 20: Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball in the second quarter of the game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 20, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 20: Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball in the second quarter of the game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 20, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) /
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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 25: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 talks to George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers during a game against the New England Patriots on October 25, 2020, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 25: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 talks to George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers during a game against the New England Patriots on October 25, 2020, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

3. At San Francisco 49ers

Another key NFC West matchup on Minnesota’s schedule is its trip to Santa Clara to take on the San Francisco 49ers. These two teams should be jockeying for positioning in the wild card chase, making it an important game for both teams.

San Francisco went just 6-10 in 2020 but that is actually an impressive accomplishment considering how much adversity the franchise went through. Injuries destroyed the 49ers, wiping out key players throughout the roster, while COVID restrictions forced San Francisco to spend the last month of the season playing its home games in Arizona.

The 49ers never quit on the season, a credit to the excellent coaching from Kyle Shanahan and his staff. This team is extremely dangerous when it is fully healthy as evidenced by the fact that San Francisco was a quarter away from topping the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIV.

This matchup will be an important one for Minnesota, which needs to find a way to leave Levi’s Stadium with a win in order to secure a head-to-head tiebreaker on the 49ers. Losing this game could mean losing out to San Francisco for postseason seeding or a playoff spot in general if they finish with the same record in 2021.

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