The Minnesota Vikings just missed out on making the playoffs last season despite having a solid team. Bouncing back from an 8-7-1 record could be easier given the solid core the organization has built over the last few seasons.

The team brings back its solid offensive core led by Kirk Cousins and including Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs and Kyle Rudolph. As long as the main players stay healthy, Minnesota’s offense should be firing on all cylinders.

Defensively, the team still looks good on paper.

Minnesota still has Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes in its secondary with Anthony Barr as the team’s top linebacker and Everson Griffen and Linval Joseph starting on the defensive line.

The Vikings will be in for a challenge early in the season with four straight games against expected playoff contenders. The team kicks off its 2019 campaign at home against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 9.

Read below for more about the Vikings heading into the 2019 season.

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2019 SCHEDULE

Week Date Time (ET) Channel Opponent 1 Sept. 8 1:00 pm FOX Atlanta Falcons 2 Sept. 15 1:00 pm FOX @ Green Bay Packers 3 Sept. 22 1:00 pm FOX Oakland Raiders 4 Sept. 29 4:25 pm CBS @ Chicago Bears 5 Oct. 6 1:00 pm FOX @ New York Giants 6 Oct. 13 1:00 pm FOX Philadelphia Eagles 7 Oct. 20 1:00 pm FOX @ Detroit Lions 8 Oct. 24 8:20 pm FOX/NFL Washington Redskins 9 Nov. 3 1:00 pm FOX @ Kansas City Chiefs 10 Nov. 10 8:20 pm NBC @ Dallas Cowboys 11 Nov. 17 1:00 pm CBS Denver Broncos 12 Bye 13 Dec. 2 8:15 pm ESPN @ Seattle Seahawks 14 Dec. 8 1:00 pm FOX Detroit Lions 15 Dec. 15 8:20 pm NBC @ Los Angeles Chargers 16 Dec. 23 8:15 pm ESPN Green Bay Packers 17 Dec. 29 1:00 pm FOX Chicago Bears

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PLAYERS TO WATCH

QB: Kirk Cousins

RB: Dalvin Cook

WR: Stefon Diggs

WR: Adam Thielen

DT: Linval Joseph

DE: Everson Griffen

LB: Anthony Barr

S: Harrison Smith

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VIKINGS DRAFT PICKS

Round 1, Pick 18: Garrett Bradbury, C

Round 2, Pick 50: Irv Smith Jr., TE

Round 3, Pick 102: Alexander Mattison, RB

Round 4, Pick 114: Dru Samla, G

Round 5, Pick 162: Cameron Smith, LB

Round 6, Pick 190: Armon Watts, DT

Round 6, Pick 191: Marcus Epps, S

Round 6, Pick 193: Oli Udoh, T

Round 7, Pick 217: Kris Boyd, CB

Round 7, Pick 239: Dillon Mitchell, WR

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