No Joke—The Vikings 2026 Season Has Arrived

Vikings Territory Breakdown Podcast

“And. . .  here we go!”

Those fictional words from the The Joker in “The Dark Knight” are where we start this 2026 NFL season, beginning for the Vikings on September 13^th versus the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Will the Vikings turn the switch and beat the Packers? Or will the Packers, without two of their best players surprise some and stop Kyler Murray and the Purple and send their season on an early death spiral?

Okay, the metaphor is stretched a bit , here. We are not pitting the good and bad of human nature against itself like in the movie, but where it applies is us not knowing what will happen next and how the players will react. The Vikings come into the game with a new quarterback, a new defensive line, a new third wide receiver and a new punter, while the Packers come to the game without the services of Micah Parsons and Josh Jacobs. Anything, at this point, can happen.

The two teams split games last season (although the Vikings’ win came in their season finale when Green Bay was resting players for the playoffs), so the Vikings get a chance to beat them for real right out of the gate this season. And a win would go a long way toward starting the season off on the right path. A season that includes games the first two weeks against divisional foes (they travel to Chicago in week 2) in a division that will be very difficult and competitive this year.

We all think we know (like the Joker thought he did) what will happen. But that’s why they play the games. Speculation, prognostication and prediction all go out the window (like the detonator in the movie) when the opening kickoff arrives. Still, there is time for a little more prediction, and the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast—Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com, and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com, are just the dynamic duo to do it. Tune in and check it out. 

And . . .  here we go! Skol!

Listen to Vikings Territory Breakdown Podcast here or on you favorite podcast network.