2015 Minnesota Vikings Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

The Minnesota Vikings have playoff aspirations behind their young quarterback in 2015, but achieving that goal will be much easier said than done given their newly released schedule.  

Minnesota finished 7-9 in 2014, which was good enough for third place in the NFC North. Still, it was something of a transition year as rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater got his feet wet in the NFL and impressed at times in the campaign’s second half. Bridgewater has a bright future and is the biggest reason for optimism in Minnesota moving into 2015 and beyond.

Field Yates of ESPN noted that Bridgewater is expected to break out this season, while Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports pointed out that fantasy players should have their eyes on the Minnesota signal-caller:

The Vikings clearly had Bridgewater in mind this offseason when they traded for wide receiver Mike Wallace.

Wallace gives Bridgewater a potential No. 1 option who can beat the defense deep and open up underneath routes for others. Wallace had 10 touchdown catches last season and has topped 1,000 yards receiving two different times during his career (2010 and 2011).

Elsewhere, Minnesota signed cornerback Terence Newman and released wide receiver Greg Jennings, among other moves. 

Here is a look at the schedule the Vikings will have to navigate if they hope to parlay the Wallace trade and Bridgewater’s continued development into a postseason spot this year:

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV
1	September 14	at San Francisco	10:20 p.m.	ESPN
2	September 20	vs. Detroit	1 p.m.	FOX
3	September 27	vs. San Diego	1 p.m.	CBS
4	October 4	at Denver	4:25 p.m	FOX
5	October 11	Bye Week	N/A	N/A
6	October 18	vs. Kansas City	1 p.m.	CBS
7	October 25	at Detroit	1 p.m.	FOX
8	November 1	at Chicago	1 p.m.	FOX
9	November 8	vs. St. Louis	1 p.m.	FOX
10	November 15	at Oakland	4:05 p.m	FOX
11	November 22	vs. Green Bay	1 p.m.	FOX
12	November 29	at Atlanta	1 p.m.	FOX
13	December 6	vs. Seattle	1 p.m.	FOX
14	December 10	at Arizona	8:25 p.m.	NFLN
15	December 20	vs. Chicago	1 p.m.	FOX
16	December 27	vs. New York Giants	1 p.m.	FOX
17	January 3	at Green Bay	1 p.m.	FOX

Analysis

The Vikings play six combined games against the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions every season as part of the NFC North, but those dates still immediately stand out on the schedule.

Those matchups are some of the best rivalries in the sport, and the late-season clashes in locations like Soldier Field and Lambeau Field always provide enticing backdrops be it through snow or playoff positions on the line.

Elsewhere, the Vikings have to play the NFC West this season, which is not an easy proposition.

The Seattle Seahawks are the most dominant force in the NFC and have been to the last two Super Bowls, the Arizona Cardinals are fresh off of a playoff appearance, and the St. Louis Rams could possibly challenge for the postseason this year behind one of the best defenses in the league on paper.

The crossover games for the Vikings in 2015 come against the formidable AFC West, which means a showdown with the legendary Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, a date with the always difficult Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers and a clash with a Kansas City Chiefs squad that added some solid pieces in the offseason after finishing 9-7.

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

There are some impressive rushing attacks on that list, which could be a problem for the Vikings. Among the running backs they are slated to face are Jamaal Charles, Marshawn Lynch and Matt Forte, and Minnesota was 25th in the league last season in opposing rushing yards allowed per game. 

A repeat performance in the run defense department could cripple any postseason hopes Minnesota has this season, even if Bridgewater does make a leap from his rookie year to his second.

Pivotal Matchups

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Ask any Vikings fan what the most important game of the season is, and chances are you will hear about the showdowns with the Packers.

While the Green Bay and Minnesota clashes don’t necessarily draw the national headlines like the ones between the Bears and Packers, there is a true rivalry in place between these two divisional foes.

Just ask Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, per the St. Cloud Times:

"

I think there's a mutual dislike between the fans (of the teams). An interstate rivalry always has helped. We've had some great games over the last few years, some important games. I think about (Adrian Peterson) rushing for 2,000 yards there a couple of years back to get (the Vikings) into the playoffs.

"

Outside of the annual rivalry games with the Packers, Minnesota has the headline matchups with the Seahawks and Broncos.

There may be more important dates on the schedule in terms of the NFC North standings, but fans will certainly enjoy getting the chance to watch their team go up against superstars like Manning, Lynch and Russell Wilson.

If the Vikings do want to compete for a potential wild-card spot (assuming the Packers win the NFC North), games against the Bears, Rams, Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons and Lions will go a long way toward determining where they stand in January. All of those opponents could theoretically compete for postseason spots, and head-to-head showdowns are always critical.

If Minnesota has a winning record in those contests, the playoffs are not out of the realm of possibilities.