The Minnesota Vikings won 13 games and the NFC North title last year but no one took them seriously because of a minus-3 point differential on the season. The doubters were right when it came playoff time. What to expect from the 2023 Minnesota Vikings?

A Closer Look at the Minnesota Vikings 2023 NFL Season

If a coach is willing to do it all, their players will be willing to do it all.

: https://t.co/GrVzXldxKE pic.twitter.com/QdB2nlwdIr

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 13, 2023

• NFL Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles — 8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
• NFL Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Chargers — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 4: at Carolina Panthers — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 5: vs. Kansas City Chiefs — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 6: at Chicago Bears — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 7: vs. San Francisco 49ers — 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• NFL Week 8: at Green Bay Packers — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 11: at Denver Broncos — 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
• NFL Week 12: vs. Chicago Bears — 8:26 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• NFL Week 13: BYE
• NFL Week 14: at Las Vegas Raiders — 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 15: at Cincinnati Bengals — TBD (TBD)
• NFL Week 16: vs. Detroit Lions — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 17: vs. Green Bay Packers — 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
• NFL Week 18: at Detroit Lions — TBD (TBD)

A Superb Season

Minnesota had an crazy 11-0 record in one-possession games during the 2022 regular season, a league record for most such wins in one year. That included the biggest comeback win in history, rallying from down 33-0 at home at halftime against Indianapolis to beat the Colts in OT. None of their four regular season losses were by less than 11 points, and three of the four were blowouts.

In the wild card round at home vs. the Giants, the Vikings were upset 31-24. Down to their last chance on fourth-and-8 and with 1:44 left, Kirk Cousins found tight end T.J. Hockenson at midfield but only on a 3-yard pass and nowhere close to the first down. Game over. Cousins finished 31 for 39 for 273 yards and two scores and a rushing touchdown. Superstar Justin Jefferson had four catches on the opening touchdown drive but had only three more the rest of the way and just one in the second half.

Jefferson was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year for his sensational regular season. His 128 catches and 1,809 yards led the NFL, and his yardage total was the sixth-best in league history. Drafted 22nd overall out of LSU in 2020, Jefferson has topped 1,400 receiving yards in each of his first three NFL seasons, eclipsing Hall of Famer and former Viking Randy Moss for the most yards recorded in that time frame in league history.

Jefferson is going to be the highest-paid receiver in league history very soon as he has made the Pro Bowl each of his first three seasons, shattering team and league all-time records along the way. Because the Vikings said goodbye to former Pro Bowl WR Adam Thielen this winter, they still felt the need to use its first-round pick in this year’s draft on USC receiver Jordan Addison. Thielen was targeted 107 times and yielded 70 catches for 716 yards and six scores last season. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 173 pounds, Addison totaled 59 catches for 875 yards (14.8 average) and eight receiving touchdowns in 11 games in his lone season at USC. He garnered First-Team All-Pac-12 honors.

Updates in the Roster

It’s possible the team could move on from Cousins after this year. He threw for 4,547 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2022. Although his passer rating dipped from a three-year average of 105.0 to 92.5, he frequently came through in the clutch with an NFL record-tying eight fourth-quarter comebacks. Backup Nick Mullens appeared in four games, totaling 224 yards and a touchdown on 21-of-25 passing.

The Vikings are returning all five starters on the offensive line, including highly touted tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. Darrisaw enjoyed a breakout 2022 season, and only Trent Williams had a higher PFF grade among tackles. O’Neill checked in ninth and his 94.7 percent pass block win rate was third among tackles.

The defense was an issue last year and might be again. Patrick Peterson, Chandon Sullivan, Cameron Dantzler and Duke Shelley were Minnesota’s top four cornerbacks in 2022 snaps, and none are on the 2023 roster. The unit has a new coordinator in former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. He joined Pittsburgh in 2022 and helped the Steelers limit opponents to just seven rushing touchdowns, which tied with the Patriots for the fewest allowed in the NFL. Pittsburgh’s pass defense forced the sixth-lowest completion percentage (61.3) in the NFL.

Minnesota’s schedule ranks as the 19th-toughest in the NFL as its opponents combined to finish 143-145 last year, a winning percentage of .497. The Vikings are 6.5-point home favorites for Week 1 against Tampa Bay, which will be breaking in a new QB with the retirement of Tom Brady. The Vikings are 6-1 in home openers at U.S. Bank Stadium, with the only loss occurring in 2020 when fans were not in attendance. The Vikings have opened their season against the Buccaneers four previous times: 1981, 1982, 1998 and 2005.

Will 2023 Be Tough?

Overall, the Vikings are scheduled to play six teams that made the playoffs last season. Five (Buccaneers, at Eagles, Chargers, Chiefs and 49ers) of the six are scheduled for Minnesota’s first seven games. That stretch includes three of the four participants in last season’s conference championship games and both Super Bowl LVII participants before Week 6. The Week 6 trip to Chicago to face the Bears will mark the latest in a season the Vikings have played their first NFC North game since the NFL’s current division alignment in 2002.

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READ MORE: Minnesota Vikings 2023 NFL Season Betting Guide