The Minnesota Vikings (1-1) host the San Diego Chargers (1-1) at TCF
Bank Stadium for their 2nd straight home game while the Chargers will play in their 2nd consecutive road game. The Vikings are coming off a 26-16 division win over the Lions and the Chargers will look to bounce back after dropping their contest at Cincinnati, 19-24.
The Vikings, who have a 5-6 record all-time against the Chargers, last played San Diego in Week 1 of the 2011 season, a 24-17 Charger win. In the previous matchup in 2007, RB Adrian Peterson, who is slated to make his 100th career start this weekend, set the NFL single-game record with 296 rushing yards in a 35-17 win over the Chargers, who were coached by Vikings Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner at the time.
Peterson, who totaled 192 total yards in Week 2, passed WR Cris Carter for the most career combined net yards in franchise history. Carter finished his Vikings career with 12,410 combined yards, while Peterson currently sits at 12,577 combined yards.
NATIONAL TELEVISION: CBS (Ch. 4 in the Twin Cities)
Play-by-Play: Ian Eagle Analyst: Dan Fouts
Sideline: Evan Washburn
LOCAL RADIO: KFAN-FM 100.3/KTLK-AM 1130
Play-by-Play: Paul Allen Analyst: Pete Bercich
Sideline Reporter: Greg Coleman
Pre-Game Show: Mike Mussman – 10:00 a.m. CT
KFAN and KTLK serve as the flagship stations for the 72-station, 5-state Vikings Radio Network.
NORSEMAN NOTABLES
• The Vikings defense allowed only 38 rushing yards vs. Detroit in Week 2, the fewest for any Mike Zimmer defense since the Bengals held Chicago to 35 rushing yards on 10/25/09. The 38 rushing yards allowed ranks as the 6th lowest total ever allowed by Zimmer since becoming a coordinator in 2000.
• QB Teddy Bridgewater has completed at least 70% of his passes in 6 of the last 7 games. Bridgewater ranks 2nd among all NFL passers with a 72.6 completion percentage in that span.
• In Week 2 vs. Detroit, RB Adrian Peterson recorded his 1st 100-yard game since rushing for 211 yards vs. Chicago on 12/1/13. His 134-yard performance was the 43rd time reaching the century mark, tying Thurman Thomas and Curtis Martin for the 10th most for a player in their opening 9 seasons.
• TE Kyle Rudolph caught his 18th career TD pass vs. Detroit (9/20) moving him into 3rd in franchise history among TEs.
• DE Justin Trattou recorded his 1st career INT vs. Detroit in Week 2 after being a healthy scratch in Week 1.
• Peterson's 58 receiving yards last week is his 6th-highest total in his career and most since racking up 76 receiving yards (5 rec.) at Carolina on 10/30/11.
• With a .667 win percentage (6-3), the Vikings have the highest home win percentage alltime among teams playing in a temporary stadium.
• Peterson, with 91 career TDs, trails only WR Randy Moss (93) and WR Cris Carter (110) for the most in Vikings history.
• FB Zach Line, on his 1st career carry, scored on a 1-yard run against the Lions, his home state team.
VIKINGS-CHARGERS CONNECTIONS
• Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner served in the same role for the San Diego Chargers in 2001 and returned to San Diego as the head coach from 2007-12.
• Vikings CB Trae Waynes and Chargers RB Melvin Gordon grew up together in Kenosha, Wisconsin and were teammates at Bradford HS. The close friends both went on to play in the Big Ten and each were selected in the 1st round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
• Vikings T Jeremiah Sirles played for San Diego in 2014. The Vikings traded for Sirles on 9/5/15.
• Vikings T Mike Harris played under Norv Turner in San Diego from 2012-13.
• Vikings assistant strength and conditioning coach Jeff Hurd served as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Chargers from 2007-12.
LOCAL CONNECTIONS
• Chargers college scout Regis Eller is the son of Viking great Carl Eller and is a native of Minneapolis. Regis served as an intern LBs coach for the Vikings in 2005 and also coached at Breck HS, where he attended and played LB.
• Chargers practice squad WR Javontee Herndon played for University of Minnesota in 2007.
• Vikings assistant offensive line coach Hank Fraley served as the offensive line coach for University of San Diego in 2012.
COLLEGE CONNECTIONS
• Vikings OL Austin Shepherd played at Alabama with Chargers G D.J. Fluker from 2011-12.
• Vikings DT Shamar Stephen played at Connecticut with Chargers DE Kendall Reyes from 2008-10.
• Vikings practice squad G Isame Faciane played at Florida International from 2010-13, as did Chargers OLB Tourek Williams from 2009-12.
• Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes played at Florida State with Chargers CB Patrick Robinson for the 2009 season.
• Vikings TE Chase Ford played for Miami Florida from 2010-11, which Chargers G Orlando Franklin (2007-10) and ILB Denzel Perryman (2011-14).
• 7 players combined from the Vikings and Chargers played at Notre Dame: Vikings S
Harrison Smith (2007-10), S Robert Blanton (2008-10), C John Sullivan (2003-06),
TE Kyle Rudolph (2008-09), Chargers C Trevor Robinson (2008-10), ILB Manti Te'o
(2009-12) and C/G Chris Watt (2010-13).
• Vikings LB Gerald Hodges played at Penn State with Chargers G Johnnie Troutman from 2009-10.
• Vikings CB Captain Munnerlyn played at South Carolina Chargers OLB Melvin Ingram from 2007-08.Childhood
STAT OF THE WEEK
• RB Adrian Peterson had the highest single game rushing output in NFL history vs. San Diego on 11/4/07 when he ran for 296 yards and 3 TDs on 30 carries.
VIKINGS CHARGERS SERIES NOTES
• The Vikings are currently 5-6-0 all-time against the Chargers, including a mark of 4-3 in games played in Minnesota.
• A team has never won consecutive games in all-time series.
• Vikings OC Norv Turner held a 1-1 record vs. the Vikings as the Head Coach of the Chargers.
• Against the Vikings on 11/4/07, Chargers CB Antonio Cromartie returnedva missed FG 109 yards for a TD, tying for the longest play in NFL history. That record was tied again by Vikings WR Cordarrelle Patterson who returned a kick 109 yards in 2013 vs. the Green Bay Packers.
A WIN WOULD
• Improve Minnesota's record to 7-3 at TCF Bank Stadium during their 2-year stint at the University of Minnesota.
• Give Mike Zimmer a 9-10 record as a head coach.
• Bump Teddy Bridgewater's record as a starting QB over .500 (8-7).
• Be the 5th straight home win for the Vikings.