As the Vikings climb into the starting blocks for what many predict will be a joyous sprint back into the playoffs, beware.
Two of the first four games are against teams from the AFC South, which, by the way, is the best division in football since the Super Bowl was created XLIII years ago.
The AFC South is so good, in fact, the Houston Texans went 1-5 within the division but 7-3 outside of it. At a franchise-record 8-8, they were the only AFC South team not to finish at least four games over .500.
The Indianapolis Colts (13-3) won the division for the fifth consecutive year. The Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5) and Tennessee Titans (10-6) finished second and third, respectively, and also made the playoffs.
The Vikings open at Green Bay, where they were nipped 34-0 a year ago, and then return home to play the Colts, who are expected to have Peyton Manning back from surgery to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee long before then.
Carolina, 7-9 a year ago, visits the Metrodome in Week 3, followed by a trip to Tennessee.
So, to recap, that's a visit to Lambeau Field and two bouts with the AFC South -- all before October. In other words, the Vikings could be 1-3 at the quarter pole with a prime-time game in New Orleans looming in Week 5. That's a hole big enough to swallow any playoff dreams.
A year ago, the Vikings played the AFC West. They went 2-2 against teams that were a combined 26-38 (.406). The Vikings lost to Kansas City (4-12) and Denver (7-9) but did crush San Diego, which went on to finish 11-5 and reach the AFC Championship Game.