The Washington Commanders are getting ready for the third season of the Dan Quinn era, and the expectations remain high.

The Commanders have a 17-game slate full of challenges and opportunities against some of the league's best teams. Super Bowl contenders like the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers loom later in the year along with talented teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans. There's even another international game in the near future against the Indianapolis Colts in London.

Now that the season is on the horizon, Commanders.com is going to break down each of Washington's opponents.

We're moving on to the Minnesota Vikings, who face serious questions at quarterback and other positions in a pivotal season.

GAME INFORMATION

Date: TBD
Time: TBD
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Individual stats leaders

• Passing Yards -- QB J.J. McCarthy (1,632)
• Passing TDs -- QB J.J. McCarthy (11)
• Rushing Yards -- RB Jordan Mason (758)
• Rushing TDs -- RB Jordan Mason (6)
• Receiving Yards -- WR Justin Jefferson (1,048)
• Receiving TDs -- WR Jalen Nailor and TE Josh Oliver (4)
• Tackles -- LB Blake Cashman (144)
• Sacks -- LB Dallas Turner (8)
• Interceptions -- S Harrison Smith, CB Byron Murphy Jr. and S Joshua Metellus (2)

Key additions in free agency

• QB Kyler Murray
• LB Eric Wilson
• CB James Pierre
• DB Tavierre Thomas
• T Ryan Van Demark

2026 Draft class

• DL Caleb Banks
• LB Jake Golday
• NT Domonique Orange
• T Caleb Tiernan
• S Jakobe Thomas
• TE/FB Max Bredeson
• CB Charles Demmings
• RB Demond Claiborne
• C Gavin Gerhardt

Key questions

• Can the Kyler Murray experiment work in Minnesota? Murray didn't have to wait long to find a new home after the Arizona Cardinals released him. It was widely believed that the Vikings were interested in the former No. 1 overall pick, and all it took was one visit for Murray to sign a one-year deal with them. Now comes the big question: is this marriage going to work? The pieces are certainly there for it to be a successful partnership. The Vikings had one of the best defenses in the league last year, and they already have an offense with solid foundational pieces like Jefferson. Additionally, head coach Kevin O'Connell has shown that when he has competent quarterback play, like he did with Sam Darnold in 2024, that his scheme can be a potent one. But can Murray be competent? There are arguments to be made for and against him in that regard. Although he himself has been mostly efficient with a completion rate of 67.1%, the Cardinals have not been as successful, which could be more on the Cardinals than Murray. He's also struggled with injuries over the last four seasons, which has caused him to miss 27 games in that span. Still, there's no doubt that this is the best team Murray has been on in several years, so assuming he wins the job over McCarthy, which he is expected to do, then he'll have a good opportunity to succeed.

• Can the Vikings establish a stronger running game? Although the Vikings found more success on the ground than through the air in 2025, it was far from an impressive product on the field. They ranked 23rd in yards per game, which was on the high end for the team since O'Connell took over as the head coach and play caller. Part of that is because O'Connell tends to rely on the passing game far more than the ground attack, as he has ranked in the bottom half of running play call percentage since his time in Minnesota. There's certainly some potential there -- they actually ranked 13th in DVOA last season -- but there aren't many consistent playmakers on the ground. The hope here is that Murray's scrambling ability will help open some opportunities for explosive plays. It will likely still be a committee approach, but it should help diversify the scheme if the ground can generate more production.

• Do the Vikings have enough depth on their roster? The Vikings have an interesting roster. Their starting lineup is certainly a talented bunch with players like Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson on offense and Dallas Turner, Andrew Van Ginkel and Eric Wilson on defense. The players behind them, however, are more of a mixed bag, and that got them in trouble at times last season. This is particularly true at the outside linebacker positions. Van Ginkel and Turner have proven themselves as quality players; conversely, the players behind them -- Bo Richter, Chaz Chambliss, Tyler Batty and Jacob Roberts -- are far from proven commodities. They are young with limited opportunities on the field. The nose tackle spot could also be interesting, as Banks and Orange -- both rookies -- could end up having larger roles. Brian Flores' scheme does cover up some of those depth issues, but it could end up being an issue again if the rest of the roster doesn't develop as expected.