At the end of last season, the Minnesota Vikings spoke about turning the page on 2011's disastrous 3-13 record and being ready to start with a clean slate.
The release of the 2012 schedule gives Minnesota its clean slate, and the schedule-makers provided the Vikings with the chance to do so quickly.
Minnesota will be playing a last-place schedule in 2012, matching up with many of the teams it joins at the top of this month's NFL draft. Plus, the first-half of the schedule is particularly friendly with five home games in the first eight weeks and only one NFC North matchup in the first half of the season.
The Vikings play the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11 last year), Indianapolis Colts (2-14), San Francisco 49ers (13-3), Detroit Lions (10-6), Tennessee Titans (9-7), Washington Redskins (5-11), Arizona Cardinals (8-8) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12) the first eight weeks. Jacksonville, San Francisco, Tennessee, Arizona and Tampa Bay are home games, giving Minnesota the chance to put last season behind in the past quickly if it can show improvement.
Of course, all this means the second half will be tough for the Vikings. All but one divisional game (Week 4 at Detroit) will be in the second half, and the Vikings will go on the road five out of six weeks before ending the season at home against Green Bay.
With the last-place schedule and little buzz, Minnesota received just one nationally televised game, Thursday, Oct. 25 at home against Tampa Bay.
A more in-depth look:
MUST-SEE MATCHUP: San Francisco at Minnesota, Sunday, Sept. 23 (FOX)
Aside from the divisional games, especially against the rival Green Bay Packers, Minnesota's biggest matchup will come against former Vikings receiver Randy Moss, who signed with San Francisco in the offseason. The two teams meet in the preseason opener, but Minnesota gets the chance to host Moss in Week 3. Moss, who wore out his welcome in New England and Minnesota in 2010 before finishing with Tennessee, won't have much time to rub the 49ers and coach Jim Harbaugh the wrong way before coming to Minnesota. The "Moss-aholics" will be out in full force. Will they be supporting their former love or root on the home team?
UPSET SPECIAL? Arizona at Minnesota, Sunday, Oct. 21 (FOX)
Minnesota likely won't be favored in many games, if any, especially at the start of the season. That means plenty of upset possibilities, and the best chance might be Week 7 at home against Arizona. The Cardinals went 8-8 last season and missed the playoffs by two games as quarterback Kevin Kolb sat out seven games. Another reason Arizona missed the playoffs last season was a Week 5, 34-10 loss at Minnesota. The Cardinals will be looking for some payback, but maybe the Vikings have their number. Minnesota has won four of the past five meetings between the two teams who've met each of the past four years.
FIVE THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE NOTICED
1. What might have been: With road games scheduled against Indianapolis and Washington, the Vikings will get to see the likely top two picks in this month's draft, quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Luck is expected to be picked first by Indianapolis (Week 2), and Griffin III would then be picked by Washington (Week 6). If Minnesota hadn't won a late-season game against Washington last year, it might have had one of the top two picks and the chance to land Luck or Griffin -- or the bounty received by St. Louis, which traded the No. 2 pick to the Redskins. The Vikings also get a look at the rebuilt Rams in Week 15.
2. A preseason preview: Teams typically don't schedule opponents in the preseason that they meet in the regular season, but this year the Vikings have two such games. Minnesota will get a gander at future opponents when it plays San Francisco and Houston in the preseason. Then the 49ers come to the Metrodome in Week 3 and the Vikings travel to Houston in Week 16. If the Vikings hope to upset the two division winners from last year, maybe getting an early look will help.
3. Strength against strength? Minnesota has long-held to its desire to have a top-notch run defense. The Vikings slipped to 11th against the run last season but will likely try to get back to its roots as several top running backs come into the Metrodome this season. Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew, San Francisco's Frank Gore, Tennessee's Chris Johnson and Chicago's Matt Forte could be tough to corral on the turf at Mall of America Field. On the road, Minnesota will face Forte, Seattle's Marshawn Lynch, St. Louis' Steven Jackson and Houston's Arian Foster. The Vikings will have to hope their run defense can return to its past glory.
4. Don't worry about the weatherman: Including its eight homes games, Minnesota could have up to 12 games indoors this season. The Vikings play against dome teams in Indianapolis, Detroit and St. Louis, and Houston features a retractable roof that could be closed Dec. 23. The only cold-weather, outdoor games the Vikings likely face are back-to-back games at Chicago and Green bay on Nov. 25 and Dec. 2.
5. A long wait for a rivalry: Vikings fans typically have the season's games against Green Bay circled, but they have to go a ways down the schedule this year to find them. Minnesota and the Packers don't play until Week 13, a Sunday afternoon game at Green Bay. The final meeting will be in the regular-season finale Dec. 30 at the Metrodome. The Vikings have lost four in a row to the Packers. Green Bay is a potential Super Bowl team, while Minnesota is expected to miss the playoffs for the third straight year. If the Packers have any playoff implications wrapped up by Week 17, maybe it will be the Vikings' chance to steal one from their border rivals.
EARLY FORECAST (all times Central): 5-11
WIN--Sunday, Sept. 9, vs. Jacksonville, noon (CBS): The Vikings get to start at home against another struggling team whose quarterback (Blaine Gabbert) is a question mark.
WIN--Sunday, Sept. 16, at Indianapolis, noon (FOX): Minnesota won only two road games last season, but Indianapolis might be starting a rookie quarterback (Luck?), is transitioning to a 3-4 defense and had the league's worst record last season.
LOSS--Sunday, Sept. 23, vs. San Francisco, noon (FOX): San Francisco came within a game of the Super Bowl last season with a suspect receiving unit, and Moss will be keyed up for a return appearance to the Metrodome.
LOSS--Sunday, Sept. 30, at Detroit, noon (FOX): Detroit won two close games against the Vikings last season but is an up-and-coming team that will continue to grow behind quarterback Matthew Stafford and All-World receiver Calvin Johnson.
LOSS--Sunday, Oct. 7, vs. Tennessee, noon (CBS): Tennessee won four of its last six games and missed the playoffs last season by one game. It could continue the improvement in coach Mike Munchak's second season.
WIN--Sunday, Oct. 14, at Washington, 3:15 p.m. (FOX): Minnesota will be playing at Washington for the third straight year and has won the past two games there. Plus, the Redskins will be likely relying on a rookie quarterback in Griffin.
WIN--Sunday, Oct. 21, vs. Arizona, noon (FOX): It's the upset special, so let's stick with it. The Vikings played one of their most inspired games last season against the Cardinals.
WIN--Thursday, Oct. 25, vs. Tampa Bay, 7:20 p.m. (NFL Network): Tampa Bay was one of the most disappointing teams last season and hired a new coach out of college (Rutgers' Greg Schiano). It could take some time to get the Buccaneers back to where they were a few years ago.
LOSS--Sunday, Nov 4, at Seattle, 3:15 (FOX): There are a lot of ties between the two teams, but Seattle went and signed former Packers quarterback Matt Flynn to replace Tarvaris Jackson as the starter, and Seattle is a tough place for opponents.
LOSS--Sunday, Nov. 11, vs. Detroit, noon (FOX): The Vikings have a better chance against Detroit at the Metrodome, but the Lions simply have an edge over Minnesota right now.
LOSS--Sunday, Nov. 25, at Chicago, noon (FOX): This is one of the possible cold-weather games for Minnesota, and the Vikings have lost five straight games to the Bears, including three at Soldier Field.
LOSS--Sunday, Dec. 2, at Green Bay, noon (FOX): Green Bay has the Vikings' number right now, winning four straight in the long rivalry between the two teams.
LOSS--Sunday, Dec. 9, vs. Chicago, noon (FOX): The indoor meeting between the two actually evens the matchup, but with quarterback Jay Cutler healthy and receiver Brandon Marshall joining him, Minnesota's pass defense will have a tough time.
LOSS--Sunday, Dec. 16, at St. Louis, noon (FOX): St. Louis finished behind the Vikings last year but has a new coach in Jeff Fisher who knows how to win in the NFL. Plus, the Rams have home-field advantage.
LOSS--Sunday, Dec. 23, at Houston, noon (FOX): Houston is coming off its first division-winning season and will likely be playing for the playoffs again in this late-season game.
LOSS--Sunday, Dec. 30, vs. Green Bay, noon (FOX): This prediction depends on Green Bay having something to play for, and whether it's a playoff bid or home-field advantage, don't expect the Packers to take this one lightly.
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