Saints on Christmas Day, Packers Week 1 highlight Vikings 2020 schedule

Josh Skluzacek
Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) celebrates a touchdown by Dalvin Cook in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, in New Orleans.[Brett Duke/Associated Press]

The 2020 Minnesota Vikings schedule was unveiled Thursday night, and there are several games fans are likely circling.

The team will open the season on Sept. 13 at home against the division rival Green Bay Packers, the first season-opening home Border Battle in team history.

Among the other highlights, the Vikings will travel to New Orleans to face the Saints on Christmas Day. The matchup is sure to be one both teams circle, not just because of the date but also because they’ve developed an intriguing rivalry as the Vikings have ended the Saints’ postseason twice in the past three years, including this past season. It will be the fourth time in franchise history the Vikings have played on a Friday and the first since Christmas Eve 2004. Minnesota has played on Christmas Day three other times, most recently at Baltimore in 2005.

The Vikings will have their bye week in Week 7, which is the earliest bye under Mike Zimmer since a Week 5 bye in the Vikings 2015 season.

Minnesota also has two primetime games scheduled this season: Week 5 at Seattle on Sunday night and Week 10 at Chicago on Monday night.

The full 2020 Vikings schedule can be seen below.

Preseason

TBD – Houston Texans

TBD – at Cincinnati Bengals

Sunday, Aug. 30 – at Cleveland Browns

Thursday, Sept. 3 – Seattle Seahawks

Regular Season

  1. Sunday, Sept. 13 – Green Bay Packers
  2. Sunday, Sept. 20 – at Indianapolis Colts
  3. Sunday, Sept. 27 – Tennessee Titans
  4. Sunday, Oct. 4 – at Houston Texans
  5. Sunday, Oct. 11 – at Seattle Seahawks
  6. Sunday, Oct. 18 – Atlanta Falcons
  7. Sunday, Oct. 25 – Bye Week
  8. Sunday, Nov. 1 – at Green Bay Packers
  9. Sunday, Nov. 8 – Detroit Lions
  10. Monday, Nov. 16 – at Chicago Bears
  11. Sunday, Nov. 22 – Dallas Cowboys
  12. Sunday, Nov. 29 – Carolina Panthers
  13. Sunday, Dec. 6 – Jacksonville Jaguars
  14. Sunday, Dec. 13 – at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  15. Sunday, Dec. 20 – Chicago Bears
  16. Friday, Dec. 25 – at New Orleans Saints
  17. Sunday, Jan. 3 – at Detroit Lions