Coming off a 14-win season in 2024, the Minnesota Vikings face perhaps the defining season of the Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi-Adofo Mensah era in 2025. Everything this regime has done has been working towards this, from building a strong offensive core for JJ McCarthy to loading up on defense for Brian Flores.
After a disappointing first-round exit in the playoffs, can the Vikings break through into the top tier of the NFL? These are the five games that could answer that question, and will define the Vikings’ season.
Week 1: Vikings @ Bears on Monday Night Football
Second-year quarterback JJ McCarthy is set to make his NFL debut under the bright lights of Monday Night, on the road, against a divisional rival. No pressure, kid.
How McCarthy plays should be the biggest thing to watch in this game. He barely got the chance to see the field at all last season, appearing in only one preseason game before suffering a season-ending injury. With an elite receiving corps, an improved offensive line, a strong coaching staff and Super Bowl aspirations, the pressure will be on for McCarthy to hit the ground running, even in his very first start.
This game will also serve as a great measuring stick for how the Vikings stack up against the new-look Bears. After a disappointing 2024 season, Chicago got busy this offseason, overhauling their coaching staff and offensive line. Are those changes enough to make up ground on the Vikings, who swept the Bears last season?
Getting a divisional win on the road to start the season would be an excellent table setter for the rest of the year. But if they lose, falling to 0-1 and already lagging behind the Bears? The pressure will be on.
Week 17: Lions @ Vikings on Christmas Day
How the times have changed.
There’s no other way to put it: Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions have assumed the role of “big brother” to Kevin O’Connell’s Minnesota Vikings. The Lions are riding a 5-game win streak against the Vikings, and while Minnesota will have their first crack at Detroit in Week 9, this game could very well decide the winner of the NFC North. Can the Vikings get over the hump?
Stopping Jahmyr Gibbs will be key if the Vikings want to win this one. Gibbs has shredded the Vikings’ defense in previous matchups, most recently going for 170 total yards and 4 touchdowns in a convincing Lions victory to close out the 2024 regular season. Will new defensive additions Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave be enough to slow him down?
All eyes will be on this game, being played at 3:30 pm local time on Christmas Day. After a humbling primetime loss to the Lions in Week 18 last season, the Vikings will get a shot at redemption.
Week 5: Vikings @ Browns in London
While the Cleveland Browns may be far from the toughest opponent on the Vikings’ schedule, this game still could be a challenge.
This season, the Vikings will be the first NFL team to ever play back-to-back international games in different countries, with this matchup against the Browns being the second game of the series. How will the Vikings handle this unprecedented wrinkle in their schedule? Could this be a potential trap game?
Coaching and preparation will be put to the test between Week 4 and Week 5. If the Vikings can manage to win both of their international games, it will reflect very highly on this team’s composure and mettle.
Historically, the Vikings have fared very well in international games, with a perfect 4-0 record outside of the United States. They’ll have two chances to keep that streak rolling this season.
Week 7: Eagles @ Vikings
After their two-week trip to Europe, the Vikings will get some time off with a Week 6 bye. But immediately after that, they have to take on the defending Super Bowl champions.
This is another “measuring stick game” that will show just how good this Vikings team actually is. If you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best, and the Vikings will have their chance at home.
The battle in the trenches will be the matchup to watch in this game. The Eagles have long prided themselves on stellar offensive and defensive line play, and their 2025 team looks as strong as ever. The Vikings, meanwhile, made an emphasis to improve their lines after seeing them fall apart to close out last season. The Vikings spent a lot of money and draft capital with the hopes of competing in games like these. Can Minnesota hold up at the line of scrimmage against the NFL’s gold standard?
If the Vikings can find a way to win this game, or at the very least keep it close, it will be a very encouraging sign of this team’s progress.
Week 3: Bengals @ Vikings
The Vikings’ new-look secondary is going to be put to the test.
This is a unit that saw plenty of change this offseason, with safety Camryn Bynum and corner Stephon Gilmore departing. Theo Jackson and free agent signing Isaiah Rodgers are slated to take over in their absence, with corner Mekhi Blackmon also set to return from injury.
This game will be a trial by fire for overhauled unit, squaring off against one of the most explosive passing offenses in the NFL in the Bengals. The trio of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are capable of putting up 400 yards and 30 points every time they take the field, and will likely air the ball out early and often.
The Vikings certainly have plenty of offensive firepower of their own, and should be able to score with the Bengals. This game may come down to which defense can get a few stops in between all of the scoring. We’ll see if the secondary is up to the task.
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