Minnesota Vikings 2022 NFL schedule: 5 must-win games

4. Philadelphia Eagles

To make the playoffs, Minnesota will have to pick up some wins against some of the teams who made it last season. It just so happens that the Vikings will face off against two of them. One of them being the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles made it to the playoffs with a 9-8 record, where they were eliminated in the first-round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yet, they made improvements in 2022, as they added former Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown via trade, Carolina Panthers edge rusher Haason Reddick via free agency and Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle Jordan Davis via the NFL Draft.

Minnesota faces off against Philadelphia in Week 2 on Monday Night Football. That is perhaps the best way to make a statement early…with a win.

3. Arizona Cardinals

The other team set to face the Vikings who cinched a Wild Card spot last year are the Arizona Cardinals. It just so happens that the Vikings could stand to pick up a win against them, based off what happened last year.

In Week 2, the Vikings trailed 34-33 with seconds remaining in regulation. They looked poised to win the game on a field goal by Greg Joseph. Sadly for Minnesota, Joseph shanked it, resulting in Arizona escaping with a victory.

The Cardinals have added this offseason, with their most notable transaction being acquiring wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown from the Baltimore Ravens. Picking a win over the Cardinals will be huge, but the Vikings will probably want to hope that they meet in the second half of the season, where Arizona has notoriously struggled the past two seasons.