LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (0-2) at MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, Fox
OPENING LINE: Vikings by 1½, in response to FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Chargers 0-2; Vikings 0-2.
SERIES RECORD: Vikings lead 8-6.
LAST MEETING: Vikings beat Chargers 27-20 on Nov. 14, 2021, in Inglewood, California.
LAST WEEK: Chargers misplaced to Titans 27-24 in OT; Vikings misplaced to Eagles 34-28.
CHARGERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (4), RUSH (5), PASS (11), SCORING (6)
CHARGERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (32), RUSH (15), PASS (32), SCORING (30)
VIKINGS OFFENSE: OVERALL (8), RUSH (32), PASS (2), SCORING (18)
VIKINGS DEFENSE: OVERALL (17), RUSH (29), PASS (8), SCORING (25)
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Chargers plus-2; Vikings minus-6.
CHARGERS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Justin Herbert can turn into the second-fastest passer in NFL historical past to achieve 15,000 yards with 377 yards towards the Vikings in what will likely be his 52nd regular-season recreation. Patrick Mahomes hit that milestone in 49 video games. Matthew Stafford obtained there in 53. Herbert additionally wants three extra TD passes to hit the 100 mark. If he will get there towards the Vikings, he’d be the fourth-fastest participant behind Mahomes (40 video games), Dan Marino (44) and Kurt Warner (50).
VIKINGS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Justin Jefferson can turn into the primary receiver in NFL historical past with three straight 150-yard video games to start out a season. He leads the league with 309 yards. He additionally has 10 profession 150-yard video games, matching Lance Alworth for essentially the most in a participant’s first 4 years. With 150 yards, Jefferson would break Wes Welker’s 2011 document with essentially the most receiving yards in historical past on the three-game mark.
KEY MATCHUP: Vikings offensive line vs. Chargers line of defense and linebackers. The Vikings have a league-low 69 speeding yards and a league-high six fumbles misplaced, together with two strip-sacks on QB Kirk Cousins. Chargers DE Joey Bosa had two sacks towards the Titans, his eleventh profession multi-sack recreation. Bosa has 9 profession strip-sacks, and no participant since he entered the league in 2016 has extra.
KEY INJURIES: RB Austin Ekeler (ankle) and LB Eric Kendricks (hamstring) have been sidelined for the Chargers’ earlier recreation. Neither participant practiced on Wednesday. … Vikings C Garrett Bradbury (again) missed the newest recreation. LT Christian Darrisaw (ankle) was additionally held out, and OLB Marcus Davenport (ankle) was restricted to 4 snaps. Neither Bradbury nor Davenport practiced on Wednesday. Darrisaw was restricted.
SERIES NOTES: The Vikings have gained three straight video games, final shedding to the Chargers within the 2011 season opener after they performed in San Diego. … This would be the first regular-season go to by the Chargers to U.S. Financial institution Stadium. They have been the primary preseason opponent for the Vikings on the venue that opened in 2016. … Chargers WR Keenan Allen has 29 catches for 330 yards in three video games towards the Vikings. … Vikings DL coach Chris Rumph’s son, Chris Rumph II, is a backup DE for the Chargers.
STATS AND STUFF: Chargers coach Brandon Staley and Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell labored along with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, when Staley was defensive coordinator and O’Connell was offensive coordinator. … The Chargers are 0-2 for the primary time since 2017, after they began 0-4. … Allen has caught a move in 60 straight video games, the eighth-longest streak in membership historical past. Antonio Gates (80) has the document. … Since getting into the NFL in 2017, Chargers WR Mike Williams has seven TDs that gave his crew the lead in both the fourth quarter or time beyond regulation to match the league lead with Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs. … Chargers DE Khalil Mack has 19 strip-sacks since he entered the NFL in 2014, the second-most behind Chandler Jones (26) in that span. … Cousins can turn into the fifth participant in historical past with at the least 325 passing yards and two TD passes in three straight video games to start out a season, becoming a member of Tom Brady (2011), Ryan Fitzpatrick (2018), Patrick Mahomes (2019), Derek Carr (2021). … Vikings WR Jordan Addison can turn into the fifth participant in historical past with at the least 50 receiving yards and a TD in every of his first three video games, becoming a member of Ja’Marr Chase (2021), Terry McLaurin (2019), Louis Lipps (1984) and Billy Howton (1952). … Vikings OLB Danielle Hunter is tied for the league lead with 4 sacks. … After setting an NFL document by going 11-0 in video games determined by eight factors or fewer in 2022, the Vikings have dropped three straight such contests, together with their playoff loss final season.
FANTASY TIP: The Vikings gave up 259 speeding yards to the Eagles. If Ekeler is sidelined once more, backup RB Joshua Kelley should be a superb guess to start out towards a susceptible protection. Kelley had 16 carries for 91 yards and a TD within the opener after Ekeler was damage. He was restricted to 39 yards on 13 rushes final week.
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