Do you have a comment or question? Send it to the Vikings.com Mailbag! Every Monday we'll post several comments and/or questions as part of the Vikings.com Monday Morning Mailbag. Although we can't post every comment or question, we will reply to every question submitted.

Click here to submit a comment or question to the Mailbag. Remember to include your name and town in the email. If Twitter is your jam, you can send a question to me that way as well.

And now for the words you've been waiting for: It's game week.

Sure, preseason results won't count, but there will be football played at U.S. Bank Stadium this Saturday when the Vikings host the Texans at 3 p.m. (CT). NFL Network will broadcast the game live to a national audience, and limited tickets remain available.

But before we get there, Minnesota has more action at Vikings Training Camp along the way, including the annual night practice, which will be featured on FOX 9+ from 6 to 8 tonight. Coverage will include interviews conducted by Vikings Entertainment Network's Tatum Everett, as well as analysis from "Voice of the Vikings" Paul Allen, Pete Bercich and Ben Leber, who was among the Vikings travel party to Canton for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement of Jared Allen.

It was a tremendous weekend where pro football began. Passionate fans decked out in their purple to show support for one of their favorites. During the Hall of Fame Walk on Friday morning, I met Curt and Cole Pedro. Curt was sporting an Alan Page jersey, and the father-son duo enjoyed their first visit to the Hall of Fame, which Page, the Canton native worked on during its construction in the 1960s. They made the trip from Chicago (but are connected to White Bear Lake) and have tickets for the season opener between the Vikings and Bears at Soldier Field. It was cool speaking with them and learning their passion for the Vikings and general appreciation of football history.

Jared hit the calf rope celebration during the Gold Jacket dinner that night (and ripped a seam in his pants), but he recovered quickly, and the festivities continued. We covered highlights from the weekend, as well as his excellent enshrinement speech. More content will be on the way, and Allen will be recognized in Week 2 when Minnesota opens its home regular-season slate by hosting Atlanta on Sunday Night Football, but I thought I'd include his words of thanks to fans, as well as the Vikings leadership that was able to bring him to Minnesota through the trade with Kansas City.

"To the fans, thank you for showing up, rain or shine or snow, for spending your hard-earned money to come watch us play," Allen said. "It's because of you that we have jobs and that this is the greatest sport on Earth.

…

"Rick [Spielman], Rob [Brzezinski], George [Paton], Kevin [Warren], [Les] Pico, Brad [Childress] and the entire Wilf family, I don't think I can ever truly express the depths of my gratitude to the entire organization," Allen said. "I'm a firm believer that God puts people in your life at the appropriate time, and what you did for the growth of my career, but more importantly, the people that you surrounded me with in that organization, helped me grow as a man. That is why I will forever call the Vikings my home."

Now, let's get to some questions.

Following daily Vikings news, I see a new pattern of training. It is worthy to note that both J.J. and the offense and the Brian Flores defense are working hand in hand together. Utilizing the Flores defense in as many possible scenarios put toward J.J., will help him recognize and react. At the same time, the Flores defense is learning to recognize new and potential offensive plans of other teams. (Is this a battle between the O.C. and D.C.? God, I love that). At first, I had some doubts about J.J., but under K.O.'s QB training and Flores' defense, it is showing something similar to how a young Ben Roethlisberger got his first start. Keep going. Growing pains are things that happen, but the future looks bright.

SKOL,

— Jerry in Ohio

I believe in the value of being battle-tested, and it appears Vikings coaches do, as well.

I fully expect this defense will have the ability to rattle some QBs this season because of the personnel, scheme and track record.

McCarthy has faced some really challenging looks, experienced some learning opportunities and has delivered good moments. Colleague Rob Kleifield handled the 3 Observations practice recaps on Friday and Saturday and noted multiple nice moments from McCarthy after a tougher session on Wednesday.

O'Connell provided insight last week to what he's seen so far, especially some of the other aspects of playing QB.

"What I've loved is just the dialogue after some of the plays," said O'Connell, sharing their back-and-forth focuses on fundamentals and situational decision-making. "That's what I care about, when I can say, 'Hey, great job. But that first-and-10, now, let's talk about not only your decision, but what was in your mindset when you hit the ball to Speedy (Jalen Nailor) and we were, you know, clock stopped, first-and-10, with a chance to, only down a point now, so we're not that far from the goal, why risk potentially ending the drive by a tip or overthrow back in the middle of the field?' And that's what I'm so excited about this time. And it's the dialogue of the great protection calls he's made; it's the dialogue of a great checkdown he's made on first-and-10 when maybe the downfield shot is not there.

"Those are the things that I've really enjoyed and really seen him grow, but at the same time he's a competitive sucker now," O'Connell added about McCarthy's impulse. "He wants to win every drill and win every day, and that's kind of my job, to try to bring a complete feel to everything that we're doing."

I just want to take a moment to say how impressed I am that Josh Metellus and the team have the relationship that they do. I see players on other teams being lauded for their professionalism in negotiations, but they're still asking for trades. Metellus just smiled, said he loved being a Viking, and the Vikings took care of him.

Metellus' situation is not materially different from those other players' situations, but what a difference in communications. I just think you need to acknowledge Metellus and the Vikings for their collective handling of his contract.

The Vikings look like a defensive PROBLEM for the league. Shout out to Brian Flores et al — best defensive staff in the game. Skol!

— Gary from Florida

It's easy to be happy for Metellus. His personality and spirit lift others in such encouraging ways, and he's gone from a sixth-round pick to signing his third pro contract and playing a vital role in the Vikings defense.

Metellus and the team were able to figure out terms that worked for each side, calmly wrapping up the deal well in advance of the regular season, and they can just focus on making him a force multiplier in Flores' scheme.

Really been excited with what I've seen out of this group so far, whether it be through training camp videos or social media insights. As a lifelong Vikings fan (thanks Mom and Dad) who's college career could really benefit from some bragging rights amongst friends I know, I definitely fall into that category of fans who are just itching to finally see this team win that elusive Super Bowl. I was really impressed with the upside we showed last season but felt we were lacking in the trenches, so I was really happy with the free agency moves used to bring in players such as Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, Jonathan Allen and especially Donovan Jackson to pair with some great veteran talent. I however haven't heard as much about Jackson as we start training camp off, so wondering if he's been getting first team reps and how he's looked so far. Also was wondering what the odds were of having both Darrisaw and Fries back for the Week 1 opener? Would be great to have the line at full strength to give J.J. the best chance at success. Couldn't be more excited for this season, SKOL!

— Patrick Weyrauch in Glendale, Arizona

And …

Donovan Jackson has a world of potential. He is going against some of the best DTs in the business. I have read that he is asking questions and making adjustments to improve his game. I look forward to seeing how he can help us.

— Gerald Goblirsch

A general rule of thumb is if you don't hear an offensive lineman's name much, then things are going pretty well.

We mentioned battle-tested earlier regarding McCarthy, and it's similar for Jackson, who has gotten in good work against a really talented group of defensive linemen, ranging from veteran additions Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to returnee Harrison Phillips and younger players.

It's really cool that his NFL debut will be against his hometown Texans team.

Darrisaw and Fries continue to make progress in their recoveries and reached a point where each participated in some team reps last week. Darrisaw spoke to media members last week and said "Everything's been trending in the right direction."

O'Connell mentioned his excitement to see the projected first team together for the first time when reviewing Wednesday's practice footage.

"When there was a lot of really good tape to watch, I always like going back through it all … and I'm kind of buzzing through, and then all of a sudden — bam! — There was 76 at right guard and 71 at left tackle," O'Connell said. "Wasn't a whole lot of snaps quite yet, but it was certainly great to see those guys out there.

"Now it's a matter of conditioning for both Will and Christian, mixed in with getting their technique and fundamentals dialed in at that position," he continued. "And it's going to be a great challenge and a real runway for them to feel like they're game-ready based upon what they're practicing against on the other side of the ball every day."

Can I see a Dallas Turner highlight or Theo Jackson because they're gonna start, and I need to see them show promise.

— Warren

Take our word for it, Turner has consistently been popping up with big plays in team periods and looking super fly with some of his 1-on-1 reps. Note: this email was sent earlier last week before Theo Jackson recorded two interceptions and nearly nabbed a third on Friday. This video has a diving interception by Jackson at the end.

I complete this exercise almost every summer. I look at the schedule and rank the games based on my assessment of difficulty for each win. Before continuing, I believe this Vikings team can beat any team on (and not on) its schedule. Various factors and weights contribute to the rankings. In the end, while no game is an easy win or a certain loss, some games are more likely wins than others. For this purpose, game No. 17 is the most likely victory. Game No. 1 is my game ranked least likely for the Vikings to win. For a twist, I'm also predicting a caveat performance for each week.

17. Vs. Falcons; Week 2, SNF*: Michael Penix, Jr., and McCarthy and another Cousins visit, though likely on the sideline for Kirk this time. Plenty of star power in Atlanta. But I believe the Vikings match up well for the home opener in prime time.
Caveat: Look for a Vikings defensive TD.*

16. Vs. Bears; Week 11: Rare to have a divisional game this low. But looking at the other game scenarios and considering this game is the back end of a two-game home stand, I couldn't elevate this game or drop another. Hopefully a win here completes a sweep of Chicago.

Caveat: A big game for Justin Jefferson despite Chicago's defensive focus.

15. @ Giants; Week 16: Given Vikings history against Russell Wilson, I considered raising this one. New York has a daunting defensive front. But I think there are areas the Vikings can exploit.

Caveat: The Vikings get at least 4 sacks including a strip sack.

14. @ Browns (London), Week 5: Plenty of special circumstances here. The Vikings will not have to travel far (from Dublin) and will not have to deal with a strongly partisan Cleveland fan base. The Vikings have a history of success overseas, and I expect that to continue.

Caveat: Bold prediction is a special teams touchdown for the Vikes.

13. @ Steelers (Dublin), Week 4: The Vikings make their longest trip of the season following two home games early in the season. Aaron Rodgers may not be the MVP he was, but I don't take his skill set lightly. Still, my scouting of this Steelers team gives me solid confidence in yet another overseas victory in an away game with a relatively neutral fan base and the opposing team traveling the same distance as the Vikings.

Caveat: McCarthy has his longest touchdown pass of the year in this one.

12. Vs. Bengals, Week 3: That I have the Bengals game ranked here says a lot about the rest of the schedule. The Bengals have shown a tendency to start slowly, and right now, who knows the Trey Hendrickson status for Week 3? I'm basing this ranking considering a 50/50 chance he will be on the field for this one. Cincy's strengths are ridiculously strong, and its weaknesses are equally weak.

Caveat: This is a coaching test. I'm betting O'Connell passes it. Both teams score over 30 points. A late turnover decides it.

11. Vs. Packers; Week 18: History could repeat with a Vikings Week 18 divisional game deciding something very significant for one or both teams. I predict a national audience and a close final score. Overtime will not surprise me.

Caveat: A big game for the running backs and especially Jordan Mason as the Pack focuses on keeping Aaron Jones at bay.

10. Vs. Commanders; Week 14: The reigning Rookie of the Year comes to town with a strong supporting cast. The rosters match up well. Points and even yards will be accrued at a premium.

Caveat: It's difficult to think of these teams without offensive fireworks, but against each other, I predict more field goals than touchdowns. Going out on a farther and thinner limb, I'll predict this game produces Viking kicker Will Reichard's longest attempt of the season. Of course he makes it.

9. @ Bears; Week 1, MNF*: An away game in prime time to start the season. I almost don't care who the opponent is, a Week 1 away game is a tossup for me. The fact that it's a familiar opponent with a new coach makes things even spicier.*

Caveat: It's a coin flip game. Literally. And the team that wins the coin flip in OT wins the game with a touchdown.

8. @ Seahawks; Week 13: If this game is in Minnesota, it goes all the way to my No. 1 win game. That's how big a difference I see the Seattle home field differential. Sam Darnold will have a lot to prove, and very few places outside of Minnesota create a more daunting fan advantage.

Caveat: A very physical game produces J.J. McCarthy's lowest statistical output of the season. The running game, defense and special teams make up for the lack of aerial numbers.

7. @ Cowboys; Week 15, SNF*: Historically, Vikings/Cowboys equates to the intensity of a divisional game. The rosters and team strengths match up well.*

Caveat: The Vikings will play their most balanced offensive game of the season. Red zone scores are scarce for both teams. The entire Vikings offensive line gets game balls as they open holes and protect McCarthy.

6. Vs. Ravens; Week 10: The Vikings have three home games left on the schedule at this point in my rankings. The fact that the Ravens are ranked this far down the list speaks to the quality of the remaining home opponents. In Baltimore, this game ranks as the toughest win. Getting the Ravens in the confines of the covered (not domed!) field in Minneapolis provides an edge for the Vikings.

Caveat: Minnesota gets a pair of early interceptions, and J.J. McCarthy scores his longest running TD of the season.

5. Vs. Eagles; Week 7: This home game follows a Vikings bye week which explains in part why it is not ranked as a more difficult win. Put this game on a Thursday night in Philadelphia, and it becomes a much more difficult victory ranking. This game will be decided in the red zone on both sides.

Caveat: And for my boldest and favorite performance prediction of the season, the Vikings recover a fumble on an Eagles scrum play. I refuse to use the more common term for the short-yardage play.

4. Vs. Lions; Week 17, Netflix special: Speaking of Thursday games, Detroit flights to Minnesota do not pose the same logistical difficulties of say San Francisco to Minnesota. So, the travel portion of the advantage is slight for Minnesota. Let's face it, the Lions have been formidable for most teams including the Vikings, and this will be a slugfest.

Caveat: I can't decide whether I want to predict a blocked punt or a punt return TD. Could be both for the Vikings.

3. @ Packers; Week 12: November 23 is quite different from December 23 in Green Bay. There could be snow and frozen tundra in Week 12, but there is some hope for milder conditions. Last year's sweep by Minnesota will be on the mind of GB and as this is the first meeting between the two clubs, you can bet the Packers will be more than primed to assert home field dominance. Expect trick plays early from the Packers. If the Vikings can keep things close until the fourth quarter, they should be able to pick up good chunks in the running game.

Caveat: Aaron Jones catches a TD pass but not necessarily from J.J. McCarthy.

2. @ Chargers; Week 8, TNF*: Thursday night. In L.A. AGAIN! Following what almost certainly will have been a very physical and draining game against the reigning world champs. Call it PTSD, but I am sick of NFL schedule makers forcing Minnesota to travel cross-country on a short week. Historically the Vikings have not faired well in L.A. on Thursday nights. Hence the ranking of this game. Yes, there will be lots of purple in the stands and an early Viking lead will create opportunities for loud SKOL chants. Only Chargers Coach John Harbaugh knows J.J. McCarthy as well as the Vikings do. Thanks again schedule makers. I'm 75% serious when I say the Vikings should start backups at several key positions including QB just to stick it to the NFL brass for continuing to disrespect Vikings fans who deserve to have more long-distance USA-based away games on Sundays or Mondays and fewer on short weeks. The disadvantage is clear, and I doubt other teams are given the same treatment year after year. Plus starting Sam Howell would be a wrinkle the Chargers wouldn't likely expect, and since I expect a heavy running and short passing game, the game plan works to Howell's strengths. Rant over. While I have every confidence in McCarthy, O'Connell and the rest of the Vikings typical starters, maybe give them an extra late bye and make a push for the end of the season while not conceding the game. A win is quite attainable, but game conditions noted above add to the burden. If the Vikings defense stuffs the Chargers running game, it will be up to QB Justin Herbert to air it out.*

Caveat: Tight end T.J. Hockenson has a career game in receptions and possibly touchdowns.

1. @ Lions; Week 9: Do I need to justify the ranking?

Caveat: The Vikings score an early safety, a field goal to end the half and a long touchdown late.

Skol!

— Jeff in Sacramento, California

Appreciate this energy from Jeff in breaking down the schedule in his unique way.

Based off last year's results and how things look at the start of August, the Vikings have an extremely difficult schedule. Factors can change matchups at any moment.

It's a tough draw to visit L.A. on such short rest, and it feels like the Vikings have done that quite a bit since teams have set up shop in the City of Angels without carding a victory.

I feel like I say it every week, but the wait for seeing everything unfold is shrinking.

View the 2025 Vikings Schedule.

Check out the 2025 International games.

View future opponents for the Vikings.

Buy single game tickets.

Download the official Vikings App.