What to know when the Vikings play the Chargers in Los Angeles on Thursday night:

Vikings at Chargers
When: 7:15 p.m. Thursday
Where: SoFi Stadium
TV: Amazon Prime
Radio: KFAN
Line: Chargers -3.5
Over/Under: 44.5

Keys for the Vikings

— If the Vikings can take care of the ball and cash in once they reach the red zone, they will put themselves in good position to beat the Chargers; never mind that it might seem like an oversimplification considering almost every game plan in the NFL is rooted in those basic principles. That’s how winnable this game is for the Vikings on paper. They simply have to do the bare minimum to give themselves a chance. The issue is that the Vikings struggled in both of those areas in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend, so that could be easier said than done with Carson Wentz under center.

Keys for the Chargers

— After watching Jalen Hurts light up the Vikings’ secondary, Justin Herbert has to be licking his lips heading into this matchup. If the Chargers can keep Herbert clean in the pocket, he should be able to control the game with his right arm. The last time Herbert played against the Vikings, he completed 40 of 47 passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns. It could be a similar story if the Vikings can’t get any pressure up front. it will have to be the passing game for the Chargers, though; their running game has taken a massive hit ever since Omarion Hampton landed on injured reserve.

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