EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings will open their 2024 schedule by visiting the New York Giants in Week 1 and returning to U.S. Bank Stadium for back-to-back home games against the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans in Weeks 2-3.

The regular-season road will end in Detroit for the third time since 2020.

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Here are 10 takeaways from the Vikings 2024 schedule.

1. Rare opening location

The Vikings have only opened a season at the New York Giants once in franchise history. The day didn't go Minnesota's way, thanks to former (1961-66) and future (1972-78) quarterback Fran Tarkenton throwing two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter at Yankee Stadium. But the rest of the 1969 season went well for the Vikings, who responded to the 24-23 loss by winning their next 10 games.

2. Front-loaded with playoff teams from last season

Based on 2023 results, Minnesota's 2024 strength of schedule is tied for 16^th, and includes seven games against teams that made the postseason.

Five of those contests (vs. 49ers, Texas, at Packers, vs. Lions, at Rams) occur within Minnesota's first seven games of the 2024 campaign. The other two contests involve hosting the Packers in Week 17 and visiting the Lions in Week 18.

This is the second consecutive season in which Minnesota has faced five postseason participants from the previous season within its first seven games.

3. Increase on CBS games

NFL games are hitting the airwaves in a variety of ways.

Minnesota's 2024 schedule, unless things are changed by Flex Scheduling later this year, includes five appearances on CBS, which is up from two in 2023.

About a decade ago, there were only usually two appearances by the Vikings on CBS, and they were usually when AFC teams visited Minnesota.

Now, the NFL is treating each of its 272 regular-season games as a "free agent."

Weeks 2, 3, 4, 9 and 11 are scheduled to be broadcast by CBS.

Eight games (Weeks 1, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 17) are scheduled for FOX.

Minnesota's contest against the New York Jets at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is set for NFL Network. The Vikings game at the Rams will air on Prime Video, and Minnesota's Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears is scheduled for ABC.

The Week 18 game at the Lions will be determined late in the season.

4. Bye and "mini bye" almost back-to-back

The Vikings will do their best to stockpile rest.

The placement of Minnesota's game in London in Week 5 will be followed by a Week 6 bye before hosting Detroit in Week 7 and a quick turnaround to visit the Rams in Week 8 for Thursday Night Football.

Teams generally like to have a little more spacing between their bye and the "mini bye" that results from playing on a Thursday, but the Vikings will have no gaps beginning in November.

5. Loaded with noon starts

Minnesota opens with four consecutive noon (CT) kickoffs before the London Game, which will start at 8:30 a.m. (CT).

Currently, Minnesota has 12 games scheduled for noon (CT), including all but one home game.

The Vikings have just two prime-time games scheduled, the Week 8 contest against the Rams on Thursday Night Football and the Week 15 game against the Bears on Monday Night Football.

That's a considerable decrease from the five prime-time games last season, which tied the most since five were played in 2018.

6. Another drought without a home game

Few things are absolutes, but it's almost certain the Vikings will go a prolonged period of a season without a home game.

This will be the sixth consecutive season in which the Vikings have gone a month-plus with only one home game.

The stretch this year involves Minnesota hosting the Detroit Lions on Oct. 20 and then only hosting the Indianapolis Colts (Nov. 3) during a five-game stretch before hosting Arizona on Dec. 1.

2019: One home game between Oct. 14 and Nov. 17

2020: One home game between Oct. 19 and Nov. 22

2021: One home game between Oct. 11 and Nov. 21

2022: One home game between Oct. 10 and Nov. 20

2023: One home game between Oct. 24 and Nov. 27

2024: One home game between Oct. 21 and Dec. 1

7. 3 road, 3 home

It's been fairly uncommon for the Vikings to have three consecutive road games, but they have that situation in Weeks 10-12 with visits to Jacksonville, Tennessee and Chicago on the schedule.

This will be the first time since 2017 in which Minnesota has had three straight road contests.

The time spent on the road will be offset in Weeks 13-15 when Minnesota hosts and Arizona, Atlanta and Chicago in consecutive weeks.

Three-game homestands have been more common for the Vikings with occurrences each season from 2020-22.

8. The return-o of Kirk-o

After six seasons as the unquestioned starting QB in Minnesota, Kirk Cousins opted to sign with the Falcons in free agency.

This will be his first game against the Vikings but not his first appearance against a former team — at U.S. Bank Stadium.

In 2019, Cousins completed 23 of 26 passes for 285 yards against the Washington team that drafted him in 2012.

The Vikings will try to limit Cousins' output in Week 14.

9. Division matchups down the stretch

The Vikings will close out their slate with three division games across the final four contests of the regular season.

Minnesota will host Chicago in Week 15 before visiting Seattle on short rest in Week 16.

The Vikings close their home slate against the Packers in Week 17 and then visit the Lions in Week 18.

If those final two weeks sound familiar, it's because it's a complete do-over from the 2023 season in which Minnesota fell to Green Bay and at Detroit.

10. Limited outdoor time

After visiting Chicago on Nov. 24, the Vikings will have just one more outdoor game to finish the regular season.

Seattle on Dec. 22 could present its own set of weather circumstances, but the Vikings otherwise will be playing indoors during December and the first week of January.