Admin October 24, 2024
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The “Thursday Night Football” schedule has been packed with divisional matchups. However, Week 8 presents an exciting NFC showdown.
The Minnesota Vikings will meet the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8 at SoFi Stadium.
Minnesota is off to a terrific 5-1 start and sits in second in the NFC North standings, while the Rams come into the game 2-4, fighting to stay in contention. The Rams faced many injuries early on, but they will have star wide receiver Cooper Kupp back on the field tonight.
Here’s everything to know about the “Thursday Night Football” matchup for Week 8.
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Who plays on ‘Thursday Night Football’ tonight?
- Matchup: Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams
- Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
The Vikings head to the West Coast on Thursday night to take on the Rams.
How to watch Thursday Night Football
- Live stream: Amazon Prime Video
“Thursday Night Football” will exclusively stream on Amazon Prime Video. Al Michaels (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color commentary), and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter) will be on the call for Amazon’s broadcast.
Watch “Thursday Night Football” with a Prime Video subscription
Thursday Night Football preview
The Vikings came out of the gates strong, winning five straight games to start the season, with Sunday’s 31-29 loss to the Lions their first of 2024. However, Minnesota was in a position to win the game, leading 29-28 with 4:16 left in the fourth quarter. The offense went three-and-out in their territory and punted to Detroit with 2:41 remaining on the clock. The Lions marched down the field and kicked the go-ahead field goal with 15 seconds.
The Vikings’ running game, spearheaded by Aaron Jones, will look to continue producing on the ground. However, what’s most notable player on the Minnesota offense is quarterback Sam Darnold: The 2018 No. 3 overall pick has excelled in coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense, throwing 12 touchdowns to five interceptions in 2024.
Darnold entered the season as the presumptive veteran bridge quarterback for rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. Unfortunately, McCarthy was ruled out for the season after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus before the season kicked off. As the starter, Darnold holds a passer rating of 104, seventh-best in the NFL entering Week 8, significantly improving from his career average passer rating of 78.3. The latter would rank 32nd among qualified passers this season.
Also assisting the Vikings offense has been their defense: Coached by Brian Flores, they rank first in defensive DVOA at FTN entering Week 8.
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That said, the Rams will be hungry for another win after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders 20-15 in Week 7.
The typically potent Rams offense has struggled with injuries in 2024. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua have been battling injuries, but the veteran Kupp is in line to start on Thursday night. The Rams offense has struggled without their dynamic duo out wide, as both are key cogs to how Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford operate in the passing game.
Kupp has been out since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 2 and will provide a much-needed boost to the league’s 17th-ranked team in offensive DVOA. Stafford completed 34-of-49 passes for 317 yards and one touchdown with one interception back in Week 1 with Kupp healthy.
The Rams’ toughest task on Thursday night will be slowing down one of the league’s best wide receivers, Justin Jefferson. Los Angeles’ defense sits 28th in defensive DVOA entering Week 8.
The Vikings are off to an excellent start, but the Rams are fighting to establish themselves as contenders in a wide-open NFC West. Stafford versus the blitz will be the key matchup to watch on “TNF.” Minnesota’s blitz-heavy attack against the veteran quarterback could disrupt the Rams passing game, especially with Kupp getting his legs back underneath him in his return.
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