3 Bold Predictions for Chargers-Vikings
It may not be a textbook “must-win” for the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers, but it’s pretty damn close if the club wants to remain relevant in the chase for the postseason. Accordingly, we have bold predictions for the event.
It’s a showdown between two teams that love close games on Thursday Night Football, and here are three bold predictions for the Vikings at the Chargers in Week 8.
Los Angeles is favored by 3.5 points in Week 8, so the purple team will need some magic to beat the odds.
Vikings at Chargers | Bold Predictions
Let’s think outside the box.
1. Jonathan Greenard Logs 2+ Sacks
Greenard, the Vikings’ main pass rusher, ranks in the NFL’s Top 20 per quarterback pressures, hits, and hurries. He also has one sack to show for his troubles.
The veteran outside linebacker has not struggled in 2025 by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, he’s played quite well. It’s just that his typical sack numbers are not flowing, and Minnesota’s season is six quarters from the halfway point.
Therefore, to make all right in the world for logic and reason, Greenard will log at least two sacks on Thursday Night Football, doing battle against a Chargers’ patchwork offensive line. Minnesota may not win the contest when it’s all said and done, but Greenard will take Justin Herbert down twice and could fire up a similar showing next weekend at the Detroit Lions.
Two sacks — maybe more — for Greenard, and he’ll be well on his way to hitting double-digit sack numbers before the end of 2025.
Our Cole Smith also predicted a Greenard sack this week: “Another game, and another narrowly missed opportunity to register a sack for Jonathan Greenard. The EDGE rusher has 26 pressures in 2025, according to PFF, ranking 17th in the league despite only playing in six games. But he only has one sack, even though he seems to get his hands on the quarterback almost every game. It happened again last Sunday against Jalen Hurts, who escaped the pocket after Greenard got into the backfield.”
“Like Jefferson, it’s been a long time since Greenard got his splash play. He hasn’t gotten a sack since Week 2 after piling up 24.5 sacks the previous two seasons. At some point, he’s going to start picking them up again. Thursday night would be the perfect time for him.”
2. Carson Wentz Is Benched
We’ve predicted this one in one form or another for a few weeks, and truth be told, there’s an argument that states head coach Kevin O’Connell should have benched Wentz last Sunday.
The 32-year-old left too much meat on the bone, failing to deliver touchdown passes that were very much open to him, and in a game decided by six points, Minnesota could have prevailed if Wentz were just a little more efficient. One intentional grounding decision while fullback C.J. Ham awaited a would-be touchdown pass was particularly damning.
Fast forward to Week 8, and with O’Connell knowing that this is probably Wentz’s final start in Minnesota, he won’t hesitate to insert Max Brosmer into the lineup when Wentz begins his old tricks.
Wentz will be benched for performance, and Minnesota will give Brosmer a peek, though it may be too late in the game to mean anything.
Reporters asked Wentz this week about his future beyond the Chargers game, and he replied, “My mindset is to go win this game and focus on the here and now. I don’t have a lot of time or energy to think beyond this one, quite frankly. So let the future take care of itself, but the mindset is to go 1-0 this week and find a way to get mentally and physically as ready as I can on a short week.”
3. One Team Scores a Special Teams Touchdown
The last kick return touchdown for Minnesota occurred courtesy of Kene Nwangwu, and since his departure last offseason, a drought has ensued. Meanwhile, the Vikings haven’t logged a punt return touchdown since 2016.
Los Angeles also hasn’t fired up a kick return touchdown in a few years, so something’s gotta give before too long. The Chargers have notched four punt return touchdowns since the Vikings last experienced one — Marcus Sherels nine years ago — so maybe it’s Minnesota’s turn.
Myles Price has come close to breaking one a few times. Let’s lock in a special teams touchdown on Thursday night, with Price as the most likely culprit.
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