The Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings will face off in what already feels like an elimination game in Week 3 of the NFL season. Both teams currently sit at 0-2 on the year, and one will fall to 0-3 after this one.
Why is this such an important game? Well, only four teams have made the playoffs after starting 0-3 in the history of the NFL (1992 Chargers, 1995 Lions, 1998 Bills, 2018 Texans).
So, yes, it doesn’t get much bigger than this.
Follow along as PFN breaks down all the major plays and highlights from the game.
Chargers vs. Vikings Box Score and Results
We will update this table as the game progresses.
Add New | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
Chargers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
Vikings | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
Chargers vs. Vikings Highlights
How To Watch Chargers vs. Vikings
In a different world, we could be talking about this as a potential Super Bowl preview. But instead, this is a Week 3 battle for survival.
MORE: 2023 NFL Prime-Time Games
The Chargers and Vikings have lost close battles to fall to 0-2 and sit at the bottom of the NFL standings. Dropping to 0-3 will make it extremely difficult for either to make the playoffs this season.
To see how you can watch every other NFL game today, check out the Week 3 coverage map.
- Date
September 24, 2023 - Time
1 p.m. ET - Location
U.S. Bank Stadium - Channel
FOX - Live Stream
FuboTV, NFL+
Chargers vs. Vikings Betting Lines, Picks, and More
All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Spread: Vikings -1
- Moneyline: Chargers (-108); Vikings (-112)
- Over/Under: 54
This is the matchup with the highest over/under total on the board this week and with good reason. The defenses for both teams should be tested in this one. The Chargers are averaging 29.0 PPG through the first two games, while the Vikings are coming off a loss in Philadelphia in which they put 28 points on the board.
While they are 0-2, you can’t get much closer to 2-0 than the Chargers this season. They led the Dolphins at the two-minute warning in Week 1, then lost in overtime last week on the road at Tennessee. It will be interesting to see if the Chargers’ offense can handle a second straight game without running back Austin Ekeler.
Ekeler, who rushed for 117 yards against the Dolphins in Week 1, missed last week’s game with an ankle injury and is also out this week. And without Ekeler, L.A. scored 10 fewer points last week than in the season opener, and its rushing yards dropped from 233 in Week 1 to a measly 61 against the Titans.
Speaking of rushing offenses, the Vikings are averaging a league-worst 34.5 yards per game on the ground, and they are the only team that has yet to have a run of at least 10 yards. In fairness, the Vikings haven’t emphasized the ground game, with a league-low 26 rush attempts in two games.
Enter Cam Akers, who was acquired this week from the Rams. But even Akers won’t be able to improve the Vikings’ rushing attack, as he is not expected to play on Sunday.
So it will be up to quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Justin Jefferson to carry most of the offensive load for Minnesota. Not that they aren’t capable. Cousins has thrown for well over 300 yards in the first two games, and his six TD passes are tied for most in the league with Packers QB Jordan Love.
As for Jefferson, he already has 20 receptions for a league-high 309 receiving yards. But he has yet to find the end zone, something you figure will change very soon.
If you believe that turnovers make the difference, then the edge goes to the Chargers in a major way. Los Angeles has yet to commit a turnover in its first two games, while Minnesota has been sloppy with the football, committing a league-high seven already.
This matchup features two desperate teams, with 0-3 staring one of them in the face. In terms of spread, it’s a toss-up, so I will take a chance and say that the absence of Ekeler and Akers from these two running games will keep the score under the total.
Chargers vs. Vikings Best Bet: Under on 54 points (-110 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Chargers vs. Vikings Inactives and Injury Reports
Chargers Inactives
- CB J.C. Jackson
- LB Eric Kendricks
- RB Austin Ekeler
- OL Brenden Jaimes
- DL Zack Bailey
- DL Christopher Hinton
Vikings Inactives
- LB Marcus Davenport
- QB Jaren Hall
- RB Cam Akers
- TE Nick Muse
- C Garrett Bradberry
- OL Khyris Tonga
