If you're anything like us, you're still hungry for Vikings schedule content after the NFL unveiled its menu of games Thursday eve and we provided opponent-focused bites — blame it on our big football appetite.

In addition to offering 10 takeaways about the 2026 schedule and sharing intriguing player matchups in non-division meetups, we've picked the meat off the bone of the first 14 weeks (13 games) in Parts 1, 2 and 3 of our schedule preview. Alas, our bellies are getting fuller, so it's time for the end-of-meal stretch.

Minnesota doesn't play on a major holiday this year but has a wonderful opportunity to Grinch-ify Christmas again for the Lions, hosting them on Sunday Night Football five days before kiddos open presents, which allots them enough time to ask mom and pop for purple and gold gear instead of a Honolulu Blue jersey.

The exact details are TBD for the penultimate and final Vikings home games against Washington and Chicago in Weeks 16 and 18, respectively, but other details are satiating for now.

Minnesota will host Washington in December for the sixth time (including the 1973 and '76 playoffs) and second consecutive year. The Week 18 contest will mark the sixth time since U.S. Bank Stadium opened in 2016 for the Bears and Vikings to conclude a regular season at the venue (2016-19; '21).

Sandwiched between those future dates, the Vikings will navigate a potentially chilly trip to New Jersey (like they did last year against the Giants) to duke it out with the Jets, who haven't put together a winning season since 2015, and their stockpile of first-round picks.

Vikings vs. Lions | Week 15

7:20 p.m. | Dec. 20 | U.S. Bank Stadium | NBC

Series Results

Vikings W-L-T: 82-45-2

Home record: 45-18-1

Last regular-season meeting: Minnesota defeated Detroit 23-10 at U.S. Bank Stadium (Week 17 of 2025)

2025 Stats

Detroit offense

Yards/game: 373.2 (5^th) | Points/game: 28.3 (T-4^th)

Detroit defense

Yards/game: 331.9 (18^th) | Points/game: 24.3 (22^nd)

2026 Status

Head Coach: Dan Campbell (6^th season; 48-36-1, and 2-2 in the postseason with Lions; 5-7 as Dolphins interim HC in 2015)

Key acquisitions (alphabetical listing): OL Ben Bartch, OL Larry Borom, QB Teddy Bridgewater, S Chuck Clark, TE Tyler Conklin, WR Greg Dortch, C Cade Mays, CB Roger McCreary, RB Isiah Pacheco, OL Juice Scruggs, Edge D.J. Wonnum

Notable departures (alphabetical listing): QB Kyle Allen, LB Alex Anzalone, T Taylor Decker, DL Roy Lopez, RB David Montgomery, Edge Al-Quadin Muhammad, WR Kalif Raymond, CB Amik Robertson, T Dan Skipper (retired)

Top 2 draft picks: OL Blake Miller (Round 1, Pick 17) & DE Derrick Moore (Round 2, Pick 44)

The More You Know

Like a lip-smacking peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Detroit's backfield was peak-level complementary the past three seasons with Gibbs and Montgomery, aka "Sonic" and "Knuckles." That tandem's days — over now — were the strongest ever in 2023 when they rushed for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns, and 1,015 and 13, respectively. The Lions will attempt to effectuate a similar slash-and-mash attack with Gibbs and Pacheco next season, but they feature a superior duo on the perimeter in receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, who are the franchise's first pair of pass-catchers to each post 1,000 yards in consecutive years since Herman Moore and Brett Perriman did in 1995-96. The more you know!

Vikings vs. Commanders | Week 16

TBD | TBD | U.S. Bank Stadium | TBD

Series Results

Vikings W-L-T: 16-13-0 (includes 2-3 in the postseason)

Home record: 8-6 (includes 2-1 in the postseason)

Last regular-season meeting: Minnesota defeated Washington 31-0 at U.S. Bank Stadium (Week 14 of 2025)

2025 Stats

Washington offense

Yards/game: 318.8 (22^nd) | Points/game: 20.9 (T-22^nd)

Washington defense

Yards/game: 384.3 (32^nd) | Points/game: 26.5 (27^th)

2026 Status

Head Coach: Dan Quinn (3^rd season; 17-17, and 2-1 in the postseason with Commanders; 43-42 across six seasons with Atlanta from 2015-2020, and 3-2 in the postseason)

Key acquisitions (alphabetical listing): Edge K'Lavon Chaisson, LB Leo Chenal, S Nick Cross, RB Jerome Ford, WR Van Jefferson, TE Chig Okonkwo, Edge Charles Omenihu, Edge Odafe Oweh, CB Amik Robertson, DL Tim Settle, RB Rachaad White, CB Ahkello Witherspoon

Notable departures (alphabetical listing): C Tyler Biadasz, CB Jonathan Jones, CB Marshon Lattimore, Edge Jacob Martin, RB Chris Rodriguez, Jr.

Top 2 draft picks: LB Sonny Styles (Round 1, Pick 7) & WR Antonio Williams (Round 3, Pick 71)

The More You Know

Minnesota's third shutout win this century and second of Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's tenure sparked an end-of-season, five-game win streak that probably accomplished more for the Vikings in the long run — thickening skin and toughening mindsets — than anything that's been felt so far. A rematch figures to yield a more competitive landscape, considering O'Connell's and Quinn's teams were drained by injuries and playoff despondency last year as they swallowed five- and seven-game falloffs from 2024. There's a notable coaching crossover in this one, too, with Washington plucking former Minnesota defensive backs coach Daronte Jones and appointing him as a first-time NFL defensive coordinator. The more you know!

Vikings at Jets | Week 17

Noon | Jan. 3 | MetLife Stadium | CBS

Series Results

Vikings W-L-T: 5-8-0

Away record: 1-5

Last regular-season meeting: Minnesota defeated New York 23-17 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England (Week 5 of 2024)

Last regular-season meeting as the road team: Vikings defeated Jets 37-17 at New York (Week 7 of 2018)

2025 Stats

New York offense

Yards/game: 263.6 (29^th) | Points/game: 17.6 (29^th)

New York defense

Yards/game: 355.6 (25^th) | Points/game: 29.6 (31^st)

2026 Status

Head Coach: Aaron Glenn (2^nd season; 3-14)

Key acquisitions (alphabetical listing): LB Demario Davis, Edge Kingsley Enagbare, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, DL David Onyemata, Edge Joseph Ossai, G Dylan Parham, QB Geno Smith, DL T'Vondre Sweat, CB Nahshon Wright

Notable departures (alphabetical listing): S Tony Adams, Edge Micheal Clemons, QB Justin Fields, K Nick Folk, Edge Jermaine Johnson II, WR John Metchie III, G John Simpson, QB Tyrod Taylor, G Alijah Vera-Tucker, LB Quincy Williams

Top 2 draft picks: OLB David Bailey (Round 1, Pick 2) & TE Kenyon Sadiq (Round 1, Pick 16)

The More You Know

For the second time in five years, and thanks to trading back up into the bottom of Round 1 to nab former Indiana receiver Omar Cooper, Jr., at 30, the Jets executed three picks on the first night of the NFL Draft. The frequency mirrored 2022 when "Gang Green" scored CB Sauce Gardner and WR Garrett Wilson inside the Top 10 and added edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II at 26. New York has made multiple first-round picks in the same draft nine other times (1965, 1972, 1984, 1995, 2000, 2006, 2008, 2013 and 2021) but none rival its haul when the 20^th century curtains were shut. The Jets in 2000 boosted their defensive front with Shaun Ellis and John Abraham at 12 and 13 and then spruced up their offense with Chad Penninton and Anthony Becht at 18 and 27. All four were successful pros. The more you know!

Vikings vs. Bears | Week 18

TBD | TBD | U.S. Bank Stadium | TBD

Series Results

Vikings W-L-T: 69-59-2 (includes 0-1 in postseason)

Home record: 40-26-0 (0-1 in postseason)

Last regular-season meeting: Chicago defeated Minnesota 19-17 at U.S. Bank Stadium (Week 11 of 2025)

2025 Stats

Chicago offense

Yards/game: 369.5 (6^th) | Points/game: 25.9 (9^th)

Chicago defense

Yards/game: 361.8 (29^th) | Points/game: 24.4 (23^rd)

2026 Status

Head Coach: Ben Johnson (2^nd season; 11-6 and 1-1 in the postseason)

Key acquisitions (alphabetical listing): C Garrett Bradbury, S Coby Bryant, LB Devin Bush, DL Neville Gallimore, WR Kalif Raymond, LB Jack Sanborn

Notable departures (alphabetical listing): DL Andrew Billings, S Jaquan Brisker, S Kevin Byard III, C Drew Dalman (retired), WR Devin Duvernay, LB Tremaine Edmunds, S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Jr., WR DJ Moore, S Jonathan Owens, CB Nahshon Wright, WR Olamide Zaccheaus

Top 2 draft picks: S Dillon Thieneman (Round 1, Pick 25) & C Logan Jones (Round 2, Pick 57)

The More You Know

One of Chicago's prized free-agent signings one year ago, Dalman, made the Pro Bowl in '25 and then abruptly retired at age 27. That decision prompted a trade with New England that returned former Vikings center Garrett Bradbury to the NFC North. Bradbury started every game last season for the AFC Champions and will turn 31 soon. Chicago also invested at the position via the draft, choosing maybe the NFL's next great former Iowa Hawkeyes o-lineman in Jones, who is owed a lifetime supply of Heinz ketchup after he was picked 57^th and crowned "Mr. 57" in a nod to the condiment's iconic "Heinz 57" logo. He'll have to hide ketchup usage on hot dogs from most Chicagoans, though. The more you know!

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