2022 opponents: Vikings to host Cowboys, Patriots; travel to Saints, Bills

The Vikings' opponents for the 2022 season are set, with the times and dates to be determined in the spring.

There's an extra home regular season game at U.S. Bank Stadium after the Vikings played nine road games in the 2021 regular season. That means they'll play two road games in the three-game preseason after traveling for just one exhibition last summer.

The 2022 schedule features six teams currently in the playoffs: Dallas, New England, Arizona, Green Bay, Buffalo and Philadelphia.

Home opponents
Cowboys
Patriots
Cardinals
Giants
Jets
Colts
Packers
Bears
Lions

Away opponents
Dolphins
Bills
Eagles
Football Team
Saints
Packers
Bears
Lions

The Cowboys are on the schedule for the fourth straight year, and have beaten the Vikings in back-to-back seasons. The Saints are on the slate for the fifth time in the last six seasons, including two playoff matchups.

Non-division foes are determined by playing a rotating mix of one NFC and one AFC division; next year, the Vikings play the NFC East and AFC East. After finishing second in the NFC North, the Vikings will also play games against the NFC's other second-place finishers, who were the Cardinals and Saints. The Vikings' divisional ranking also determined the 17th opponent, the Colts, as the second-place finisher from another AFC division.

Adding Indianapolis means the Vikings will put their two longest active losing streaks against other franchises — the Colts and Patriots — on the line in 2022. After the Vikings beat the Seahawks last fall, ending a run of seven straight losses to Seattle, their six-game losing streak to the Colts became the most dubious current stretch against one team. The Vikings haven't beat Indianapolis since 1997. They've also lost five straight to New England, with their most recent win in 2000 when Tom Brady was inactive as a rookie.

After the Vikings' Dec. 5 loss in Detroit, snapping a streak of eight straight wins vs. the Lions, Minnesota's longest active winning streak against one team is five — against both the Texans and Jaguars.