Vikings-Chargers Preview Capsule
MINNESOTA (9-4) at LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (5-8)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
OPENING LINE -
RECORD VS. SPREAD '“ Vikings 7-6-0, Chargers 4-8-1
SERIES RECORD '“ Tied 6-6-1
LAST MEETING '“ Vikings beat Chargers 31-14, Sept. 27, 2015
LAST WEEK '“ Vikings beat Lions 20-7; Chargers beat Jaguars 45-10
AP PRO32 RANKING '“ Vikings No. 8, Chargers No. 22
VIKINGS OFFENSE '“ OVERALL (11), RUSH (4), PASS (14)
VIKINGS DEFENSE '“ OVERALL (14), RUSH (11), PASS (16)
CHARGERS OFFENSE '“ OVERALL (10), RUSH (22), PASS (5)
CHARGERS DEFENSE '“ OVERALL (4), RUSH (17), PASS (4)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES '“ Vikings continue push to stay in second NFC wild-card playoff spot against eliminated Bolts. '¦ Vikings are 1-6 in road games in Mountain and Pacific time zones in six seasons under coach Mike Zimmer. '¦ Vikings have beaten Chargers on road only once in history, in San Diego in 1981. '¦ Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins has five games with 80% completion rate or greater, most in single season in NFL history. '¦ Vikings RB Dalvin Cook has rushing TD in four straight games, tied for league lead with 13 rushing TDs. '¦ WR Stefon Diggs is 25 receiving yards from setting career high. He had 1,021 yards last year. '¦ Vikings DE Danielle Hunter has 12ˆ½ sacks, tied for fourth in NFL. He has 52ˆ½ career sacks after becoming youngest player in history to reach 50 career sacks (25 years, 40 days) last week. '¦ Minnesota has allowed only five rushing TDs in 2019, tied with Steelers for fewest in league.. '¦ Chargers playing penultimate game at compact soccer stadium in Carson before move to Inglewood palace next season. Just 2-3 at home this season. '¦ Bolts' eight losses all by seven points or fewer, they're out of playoff race despite plus-38 point differential and talent-loaded roster rounding back into form after injuries. ... Philip Rivers coming off highest-rated passing game of career, posting a 154.4 on 314 yards passing, three TDs in blowout of Jacksonville. '¦ Rivers is 1-2 as starter against Minnesota, throwing three TD passes, four interceptions. Passer rating of 71.9 is second worst in career against any opponent. ... Chargers ranked fourth in total defense, allowing 304.8 yards per game. Passing defense also ranked fourth in NFL. '¦ RB Austin Ekeler needs seven catches to join WR Keenan Allen as second set of teammates in Chargers history with 80 catches apiece. Kellen Winslow, John Jefferson did it in 1980. '¦ Ekeler has matched Lionel James' franchise record for running backs with three career 100-yard receiving games. ... Allen is 53 yards from third straight 1,000-yard receiving season. '¦ DE Joey Bosa has sacked 24 QBs in career, but never Cousins. Fellow Bolts pass rusher Melvin Ingram has sacked Cousins once. ... Chargers S Derwin James gets first career matchup against Vikes RB Cook, his Florida State teammate and close friend. ... Fantasy tip: Chargers haven't given up despite playoff elimination, and offense finally clicked last week. Ekeler, Allen, Mike Williams all should be strong plays.
__ -
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL