Vikings schedule: Lions loom after bye, but the four that follow look like a cakewalk

With a 23-17 win over the New York Jets in London, the Minnesota Vikings remained the lone unbeaten team in the NFC and moved to 5-0 for the sixth time in the last 27 seasons, the most of any NFL team during that stretch.

It should be noted, however, that Minnesota missed the postseason in two of the previous five instances, including the most recent in 2016, finishing 8-8. What's also interesting about that campaign is that, exactly like they do this year, the Vikings had a bye in Week 6.

A similar fate doesn't seem likely this time around, but with the unpredictability this 2024 season has provided thus far, anything seems possible at this point, doesn't it? Again, though, Minnesota missing the playoffs seems unlikely, especially given their upcoming schedule.

Now, there's a strong chance the Vikings could take their first loss following their bye week, as they face a tough test in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions. Divisional matchups are never easy, but they will get a Lions team that will be playing a second straight road game as Detroit heads to Texas for an intriguing Week 6 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.

Following the Lions, Minnesota has an extremely favorable schedule in the month that follows, as Kevin O'Connell & Co. will face opponents who've combined to go just 5-14 through the first five weeks.

Vikings schedule

Before we break it down a bit, here's a look at the Vikings' schedule for the remainder of the 2024 NFL season.

As you can see, Weeks 8-11 look like fairly easy victories, at least on paper.

The Los Angeles Rams have been competitive in four of the five games they've played thus far but have only been able to win one of them, taking a 27-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3.

The quick turnaround for a Thursday night game is never easy, and the Vikings do have the tougher opponent the Sunday prior. While Minnesota faces Detroit, LA has an easier game against the Las Vegas Raiders. But the Vikings will undoubtedly still be the favorite here, even on the road.

Minnesota returns home in Week 9 to face the Indianapolis Colts, who've had an up-and-down season thus far, going 2-3 in their first five games. It's unclear at this point who will be under center for Indy at that point, as Anthony Richardson should be healed from his oblique injury by then. But if he's not, the Vikings will have to deal with Joe Flacco, who just threw for 359 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars, albeit in a loss.

The Jags are the Vikings' Week 10 opponent, and they've easily been one of the biggest disappointments in the league thus far, starting 0-4 before finally notching their first win against the Colts. Once again, Minnesota should be favored on the road here.

The Vikings should also be road favorites in Week 11 when they visit the Tennessee Titans, who started 0-3 before picking up their first win in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins. The Titans, who just had their bye, may have another win or two by then, but they've got a tough stretch coming up and shouldn't pose much of a threat to Minnesota.

The phrase "trap game" will likely be thrown around a lot during this four-game stretch, but if the Vikings can get past the Lions, they could easily be 10-0 at the end of that run.

The schedule gets much more challenging for Minnesota down the stretch, as all but one team they face over the final seven weeks currently has a winning record, the lone exception being the Arizona Cardinals, who are better than their 2-3 record indicates.

Playing three straight road games in Weeks 10-12 won't be pleasant, but they then get three straight at U.S. Bank Stadium in Weeks 13-15.

Even if the Vikings somehow only go 6-6 over their final dozen games, an 11-6 record should still get them into the postseason for the second time in three years. But it seems highly unlikely they'll only be a .500 team the rest of the way. They will lose at some point, perhaps even against Detroit in Week 7, but a 13-4 or 14-3 finish isn't out of the question by any stretch.