The Los Angeles Chargers will host the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football, but a key question remains: who will start at quarterback for Minnesota? Carson Wentz has led the team for the past four games, but J.J. McCarthy is nearing a return from an ankle injury.
“My understanding is with Carson Wentz and J.J., the Vikings play a short week this week. They have the Chargers this week. I would expect that we get Carson Wentz on Thursday night,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. He added that McCarthy could return the following week at Detroit, depending on Wentz’s performance and health.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has not confirmed the decision, noting, “First and foremost, I thought [Wentz] competed. Gotta see how he comes out health-wise… On a short week, we’ll put together the best plan we can and that also includes the players available to us.”
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Chargers Defense Under Pressure
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Meanwhile, the Chargers are struggling to find stability on defense. After surrendering 38 points to the Indianapolis Colts, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter admitted the unit has underperformed.
“We’re not where we want to be. We’ve had a couple rough games in a row… I think everybody, to a man, on our side of the ball would say we all need to be better. It’s really that simple,” Minter told The Athletic.
Star safety Derwin James was blunt in his assessment: “We played like s—. We looked like trash. We gave up 40 points in our own stadium. We weren’t locked in on the details… everything we practiced.”
With the Vikings looming and the NFC West race tightening, the Chargers will need to right their defensive ship quickly. Thursday night’s matchup is not only a test of talent but of focus and discipline, as Los Angeles looks to keep pace in a competitive division while facing uncertainty at the quarterback position for their opponent.
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