Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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STAT OF THE WEEK
Harrison Smith has 767 career tackles (team stats) and is three tackles away from passing cornerback Antoine Winfield, who teamed with Smith during the safety’s rookie season of 2012. Smith recorded his 22nd career interception in Week 14 to move into a tie with Orlando Thomas and John Turner for seventh in Vikings history.
NORSEMAN NOTES
Minnesota has opened a season 9-4 for the fourth time (1974, 1988, 1992 and 2019). The team made the playoffs after each of the previous 9-4 starts.
Mike Zimmer is 5-2 against AFC West teams as head coach of the Vikings.
The Vikings offense has allowed only 23 sacks in 2019, which is the seventh-fewest in 2019. Minnesota suffered 40 in 2018.
QB Kirk Cousins has thrown for 7,572 yards since joining the Vikings. He passed Brett Favre (6,711) in Week 10 for the seventh-most in team history. Warren Moon ranks sixth with 10,102 passing yards from 1994-96. Cousins also ranks seventh in franchise history with 54 passing touchdowns and needs five to pass Moon.
Since Week 5, the Vikings offense has averaged 397.3 yards per game, the second-most in the NFL in that span.
Kyle Rudolph needs three touchdown receptions to tie Sammy White (50) for fourth in Vikings history. Rudolph (421 receptions) passed Jake Reed (413) in Week 11 for fifth place on Minnesota’s all-time list. Anthony Carter is fourth all-time with 478.
Irv Smith, Jr., has 31 receptions in 2019 and needs five to break Andrew Jordan’s Vikings record of 35 receptions by a rookie tight end (1994).
The Vikings defense is tied with Pittsburgh for the fewest rushing touchdowns allowed in the NFL this season (five).
According to league stats, Eric Kendricks has a career-high 12 pass breakups on the season.
VIKINGS-CHARGERS CONNNECTIONS
Vikings CB Trae Waynes and Chargers RB Melvin Gordon III grew up together in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where they teamed together at Bradford High School.
Los Angeles Special Teams Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach George Stewart was the receivers coach in Minnesota form 2007-16.
LOCAL CONNECTIONS
There are five California natives — LB Anthony Barr, LB Eric Kendricks, QB Sean Mannion, RB Alexander Mattison and G Dru Samia — on the Vikings 53-man roster. Minnesota tight ends coach Brian Pariani and defensive line coach Andre Patterson also are from California.
Chargers T Trey Pipkins III is from Apple Valley.
COACHING CONNECTIONS
Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer (defensive coordinator) and Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn (running backs coach) overlapped at the Cowboys from 2005-06.
Minnesota Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Advisor Gary Kubiak (1995-2005), Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Rick Dennison (1995-2008) and tight ends coach Brian Pariani (1995-2004) overlapped with Lynn (2000-02) in Denver.
Vikings receivers coach Drew Petzing coached with Chargers Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichen in Cleveland in 2013.
PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS
Minnesota P Britton Colquitt (2016-18) and DE Ifeadi Odenigbo (2018) played with Los Angeles QB Tyrod Taylor (2018) and G Spencer Drango (2016-17) in Cleveland.
Colquitt (2009-15) overlapped with G/T Michael Schofield III (2014-16) and DT Sylvester Williams (2013-16) in Denver.
COLLEGE CONNECTIONS
Vikings DT Jaleel Johnson and Chargers DB Desmond King II at Iowa
Minnesota DE Ifeadi Odenigbo and Los Angeles RB Justin Jackson at Northwestern
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook and Chargers S Derwin James, Jr., at Florida State
Minnesota LB Cameron Smith and Los Angeles LB Uchenna Nwosu at USC
Vikings TE Irv Smith, Jr., and Chargers LS Cole Mazza at Alabama
Minnesota K Dan Bailey and Los Angeles T Russell Okung at Oklahoma State
Vikings DT Armon Watts and Chargers TE Hunter Henry at Arkansas
Minnesota C Garrett Bradbury and Los Angeles DT Justin Jones at North Carolina State
Vikings C Pat Elflein and DT Jalyn Holmes at Ohio State with Chargers DE Joey Bosa
VIKINGS TOP PERFORMERS VS. CHARGERS
Everson Griffen: 1 game (1 start), 6 tackles (league stats), 1.5 sacks, 1 PBU, 2 TFL
Anthony Barr: 1 game (1 start), 6 tackles (league stats), 1.0 sack, 1 FF
Harrison Smith: 1 game (1 start), 8 tackles (league stats), 1 PBU, 1 TFL
VIKINGS BIG DAYS VS. CHARGERS
Everson Griffen: 6 tackles and 1.5 sacks in Minnesota on Sept. 27, 2015
Anthony Barr: forced fumble during a sack of Philip Rivers to set up Minnesota’s first three points of 31-14 win on Sept. 27, 2015
Harrison Smith: broke up a pass and recorded a tackle for loss in Minnesota on Sept. 27, 2015
VIKINGS-CHARGERS SERIES NOTES
1. Sunday’s game will be the 13th meeting in the regular season between the franchises that first met on Dec. 5, 1971 in San Diego. The teams are 6-6 and neither franchise has ever won two games in a row in the series.
2. The most-famous meeting between the Vikings and Chargers occurred on Nov. 4, 2007. Chargers CB Antonio Cromartie returned a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown, the longest possible play in an NFL game. Former Vikings receiver/return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson later tied the mark with a 109-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Green Bay in 2013. That 2007 game also featured Adrian Peterson racking up the highest single-game rushing output in NFL history. Peterson rushed for 296 yards and three scores on 30 carries.
3. The Vikings hosted the Chargers on Aug. 28, 2016, in the first preseason game in U.S. Bank Stadium. Minnesota won 23-10.
Longest Vikings winning streak in series: 1 game (last win was Sept. 27, 2015)
Longest Vikings losing streak in series: 1 game (last win was Sept. 11, 2011)