Chargers vs. Vikings matchups: L.A. tries to solve defensive guru Mike Zimmer
Breaking down how the Chargers (5-3) and the Minnesota Vikings (3-5) match up heading into their game at 1:05 p.m. PST on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The game will be carried on Fox (Channel 11).
When Chargers have the ball: Justin Herbert is coming off a performance during which he completed 32 of 38 attempts for 356 yards and two touchdowns. Now, he will face an opponent coach Brandon Staley called “one of the top third-down architects in the history of the game.” Mike Zimmer is in his eighth season as Minnesota’s coach, his reputation stretching back much further than that. Zimmer, Staley explained, is masterful at disguising schemes, particularly pressures. That’s the exact thing that stalled Herbert and the offense against Baltimore and then, to a lesser extent, New England immediately before his dazzling effort at Philadelphia against a weak pass defense last week. In losses to the Ravens and Patriots, Herbert appeared frequently confused and often disconnected from his receivers. He was sacked three times by Baltimore and pressured 17 times by New England as his offensive line struggled too. Against the Eagles, who rarely blitz, Herbert wasn’t sacked or even hit. Philadelphia managed just four pressures, Herbert quick to get rid of the football and the line excelling. This assignment will be a bit more daunting, the Vikings tied for second in the NFL with 27 sacks. “When it’s known pass, this guy is as good of a defensive coach as there has ever been,” Staley said of Zimmer. A key for the Chargers will be avoiding third and long, something that has been an issue at times this season. Minnesota is the NFL’s fifth-stingiest defense on third down.
The Chargers might have two more wins than the Minnesota Vikings but these teams are evenly matched and both have been experiencing nail-biters all season.
When Vikings have the ball: In 302 passing attempts this season, Kirk Cousins has been intercepted only twice. That’s a pickoff percentage of 0.7, which is tops in the NFL. He also has been sacked just 10 times. That percentage of 3.2 also leads the league. Still, the Vikings have been mostly a middle-of-the-road offense in dropping five of their first eight games. As for other superlatives, they feature running back Dalvin Cook, who is third in the NFL with an average of 92.3 rushing yards per game. The Chargers’ run defense is the worst in football and they’ve already surrendered 100-yard games to Tony Pollard, Nick Chubb and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Staley said Cook’s vision and speed set him apart from others at the position. “When he sees it, he’s gone,” Staley said. “You can see it on film. You’re just holding your breath sometimes like, ‘Oh boy, there he goes.’ He’s a big-time factor in the screen game, in the receiving game. He’s a complete runner that way.” Cousins’ top targets are Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. Jefferson’s was the name mentioned most often after Herbert’s last year in the discussion about the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year.
When they kick: Dustin Hopkins made his first game-winner as a Charger with a 29-yard field goal with two seconds remaining against Philadelphia. He also missed an extra point in the game, the Chargers’ sixth of the season. Minnesota’s Greg Joseph is 17 for 21 on field goals and 17 for 18 on extra points.
Jeff Miller’s prediction: The Chargers and Vikings seem to be competing to see who can play the most close games. Hard to see this one being anything but tight. Let’s get goofy and forecast a second game-winner in a row for Hopkins.
CHARGERS 24, VIKINGS 23
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