Vikings 2013 schedule: Seven 2012 playoff teams on tap

The Vikings will pay the price for their turnaround from a 3-13 team in 2011 to 10-6 and the playoffs in 2012. They will face seven playoff teams next year, and two -- Giants and Cowboys -- who were eliminated the final week of the season.

By Joe Oberle

Jan 2, 2013 at 7:16 pm ET • 1 min read

The Minnesota Vikings took advantage of a fourth-place schedule this seaosn and turned their 3-13 record in 2011 into a 10-6 record and a playoff appearance in 2012. They won’t have that luxury in 2013. The Vikings will be tested with one of the league's toughest schedules with seven of their games coming against 2012 playoff teams.

In addition to their six divisional games, including the 2012 NFC North Division Champion Green Bay Packers twice, the Vikings will face two other division champions in the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens. They also have 2012 wild-card teams the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks.

The Vikings, who are a team on the rise, won four games in December against the toughest schedule in the league this season, so they should be ready to compete in 2013. But when you include two games against the Chicago Bears and games against the Dallas Cowboys and N.Y. Giants -- three teams that were eliminated from the playoffs (by the Vikings) on the final weekend of the 2012 season -- there will be few easy wins in 2013.

Minnesota Vikings 2013 Schedule:

Home: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Philadelphia, Washington, Carolina, Cleveland, Pittsburgh

Away: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Dallas, N.Y. Giants, Seattle, Baltimore, Cincinnati

For more Vikings news and notes, follow Joe Oberle on Twitter @CBSVikings.