2005 Minnesota Vikings Football Schedule

There is definitely optimism in Minneapolis as the 2005 Minnesota Vikings football schedule kicks off. During the 2004 season, finished 8-8, despite losing seven of nine games at one point during the campaign. That was good enough for a second-place finish in the NFC North and earned the Vikings a playoff berth one of the conference's Wild Card teams. They defeated the rival Green Bay Packers in the opening round of the postseason before falling the following week to the eventual NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles. Since then, the team has been radically reconstructed, with star wide receiver Randy Moss shipped to Oakland in a trade and five new defensive starters brought in to bolster a unit that finished 26th in points allowed and 28th in total yardage in 2004. There is trepidation amongst Minnesota fans. Can the team be successful without the man led the team in receiving during six of the past seven seasons?

Breaking Down the 2005 Minnesota Vikings Football Schedule

This season, in addition to their traditional six games against their NFC North rivals from Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay, the 2005 Minnesota Vikings schedule features home games against Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Cleveland, St. Louis and Pittsburgh, as well as road trips to Cincinnati, Atlanta, Carolina, the New York Giants and Baltimore. The Vikings will have to rely heavily on that revamped defense, which includes linebackers Sam Cowart and Napoleon Harris, safety Darren Sharper, cornerback Fred Smoot and defensive tackle Pat Williams. Vikings fans should rest easier knowing that they have winning records against nine of their ten non-divisional opponents this year, with the series against the Ravens standing tied at one win apiece. In fact, only one team Minnesota faces this year has a winning record against them, and that is the Green Bay Packers, who are 42-44-1 all-time against the Vikings. The Randy Ratio may be history, but with an improved defense and a favorable-looking schedule, the Vikings may well make a return appearance in the playoffs this season.