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Vikings vs. Chargers: Three must-know storylines for Thursday's Week 8 prime-time game

  • WHERE: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.)
  • WHEN: 8:15 p.m. ET
  • HOW TO WATCH: Prime Video, NFL+

Thursday was supposed to be a meeting of Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy and Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, who teamed up at Michigan to win an NCAA national title two seasons ago. Instead, Carson Wentz will make his fifth straight start for the Minnesota Vikings, facing Los Angeles in a battle of two wayward teams.

The Chargers won their first three games of the season but have lost three of the past four. Minnesota is 3-3, ping-ponging between wins and losses every other week. This game also will be the first meeting of Harbaugh and Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, who 20 years ago were in San Diego concurrently -- Harbaugh as USD head coach and O'Connell as QB at San Diego State.

Three must-know storylines

1) Herbert hopes to end slide

The Chargers have struggled since their 3-0 start, and the offensive imbalance has been part of the problem. As their offensive line and backfield have crumbled to poor health, the Chargers have asked more of Justin Herbert. It hasn't gone as planned. He threw for a career-high 420 yards on Sunday but also two INTs, while taking three sacks. Herbert also was the Chargers' leading rusher, and when they've not had much of a run game, the offense has gone cold. You know what's coming in this game against DC Brian Flores: pressure. The Vikings have the second-highest blitz rate in the NFL, and Herbert has been blitzed 93 times -- tops among all QBs. There are plenty of weapons at Herbert's disposal, and rookie TE Oronde Gadsden II had a breakout game in Week 7 with seven catches for 164 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. The Eagles took their shots all game against the Vikings on Sunday and were able to generate offense out of structure. That figures to be the game plan for Herbert on Thursday, too, and Minnesota's secondary should have its hands full unless the rush gets home often enough.

2) Wentz, Jefferson face tough challenge

Carson Wentz will be making his fifth start in place of J.J. McCarthy, going 2-2 in the first four. In two victories, Wentz has completed 72.2 percent of his passes, averaged 204.5 pass yards and had a 3-0 TD-INT split. In the two losses, Wentz has averaged 331.5 pass yards but has a completion percentage of only 63.6 with one TD and two picks. Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson have been more productive with Wentz at QB, and Jordan Addison registered a career-high nine catches for 128 yards vs. the Eagles last week. Jefferson should be busy and will be a tough cover for Tarheeb Still and the rest of the L.A. secondary. The Chargers have allowed a 79.8 opponent passer rating in 2025, which is the third-lowest in the NFL, but the Colts lit them up for 38 points, with Daniel Jones registering a 113.4 passer rating on Sunday. Chargers safety Elijah Molden (thumb), who missed Sunday, was limited in Tuesday's practice. Wentz has been at his best when the run game is humming, and Jordan Mason generally has done a good job. He could even get help from Aaron Jones, who has returned to practice after a stint on injured reserve and was limited Tuesday.

3) Vikings, Chargers each have their share of offensive line issues

Carson Wentz was not a sure thing to start this game because of his left shoulder injury. He's been sacked 14 times and hit 28 times in his four starts. The Vikings have had five different starting OL combinations in 2025; only the Panthers and Browns (six each) have had more this season. With OT Brian O'Neill (knee) not practicing Tuesday, the Vikings might have a shell group blocking again. They've also surrendered an interior pressure rate of 10.4 percent, per Next Gen Stats, which is more than two percent higher than the next-worst team. The Vikings have allowed 11 sacks to interior rushers, also tops; third on that list is the Chargers with eight. The Chargers' OL has fallen into disrepair since RT-turned-LT Joe Alt hurt his ankle. There's hope Alt can return Thursday, but he, Trey Pipkins and Jamaree Salyer were limited in Tuesday's practice, making their statuses uncertain. With the way Brian Flores and Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter operate, it could be a long night for the offensive lines -- and the quarterbacks they're tasked with protecting.

Vikings' Week 8 injury report

Player Mon. practice Tues. practice Wed. practice Game status
C.J. Ham, FB (hand) DNP DNP
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DE (hip) FP FP
Donovan Jackson, G (wrist) FP FP
Aaron Jones, RB (hamstring) --- LP
J.J. McCarthy, QB (ankle) LP LP
Brian O'Neill, OT (knee) DNP DNP
Zavier Scott, RB (wrist) LP LP
Andrew Van Ginkel, LB (neck) LP LP
Carson Wentz, QB (left shoulder) LP FP

Chargers' Week 8 injury report

Player Mon. practice Tues. practice Wed. practice Game status
Joe Alt, OT (ankle) LP LP
Jamaree Caldwell, DL (illness) --- DNP
Austin Deculus, OT (ankle) LP LP
Troy Dye, LB (thumb) LP LP
Hassan Haskins, RB (hamstring) DNP DNP
Kyle Kennard, LB (knee) FP FP
Elijah Molden, DB (thumb) LP LP
Trey Pipkins III, G/T (knee) LP LP
Jamaree Salyer, OL (knee) FP FP

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