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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-week-8-losers-vikings-falcons-panthers-slapped-reality-checks');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL Week 8 Losers: Vikings, Falcons, Panthers slapped with reality checks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NFL-Week-8-Losers.jpg"></figure><h1>NFL Week 8 Losers: Vikings, Falcons, Panthers slapped with reality checks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-28T17:05:38-07:00">October 28th, 5:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-28T17:05:38-07:00">October 28th, 5:05pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor, NFL and NCAA Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There wasn’t a ton of drama and intrigue in Week 8 of the NFL season, but sometimes that’s what it takes to draw some hard lines in the sand about who is for real and who is not as the season reaches its halfway point.</p><p>The week opened with a blowout on Thursday night, when the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-chargers/chargers-news-jim-harbaugh-mic-violent-truth-bomb-dominating-vikings">Minnesota Vikings got crushed 37-10 by the Los Angeles Chargers</a>. Sunday followed suit with just one game that finished with a final margin of one score between the Bengals and the Jets.</p><p>Just because there wasn’t a classic Witching Hour on Sunday afternoon doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of important takeaways to take from the games. Some of the teams that got hit with a reality check on Sunday headline the list of losers from Week 8.</p><h2><b>Vikings get humbled by Chargers in prime time</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Carson-Wentz-and-Khalil-Mack.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Minnesota Vikings came into the year with high expectations despite an uncertain quarterback situation. Kevin O’Connell’s squad boasts one of the most talented rosters in the league, but it turns out the QB situation has doomed them in 2025.</p><p>Things came to a head on Thursday night in prime time, as the Vikings were blown out by the Chargers 37-10 with the whole country watching. After an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-fans-isaiah-rodgers-pick-six-overturned">Isaiah Rodgers pick-six was called back</a> on the first drive of the game, nothing went right for the Vikings as they fell to 3-4 on the season with a tough stretch coming up.</p><p>Carson Wentz has played poorly since taking over for the injured JJ McCarthy, and now he is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Now, McCarthy is returning, but he also didn’t look great earlier in the season. The rest of the ream is either banged up or underperforming, and it is starting to look more and more like a lost season in Minnesota.</p><h2><b>The bad Falcons show up… again</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Falcons.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>So far this season, there has been the good Falcons and the bad Falcons. The bad Falcons have been especially ugly at times, suffering  a blowout loss to the Panthers and a lifeless performance against the shorthanded 49ers. Sunday’s showing, a 34-10 blowout loss at home against what’s left of the Dolphins, takes the cake.</p><p>Even with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-michael-penix-week-9-update-before-dolphins-showdown">Michael Penix Jr. sidelined with an injury</a>, the Falcons still should have been able to move the ball with Kirk Cousins at quarterback against one of the worst defenses in the league against the run and the worst unit in football against the pass. That was not the case, however, as Atlanta finished with the fifth-lowest EPA per play of the week on offense.</p><p>The running game was by far the most disappointing part of the game. The Falcons, normally a great running team, finished below only the Vikings with a negative-0.65 EPA per rush mark in Week 8. Now, Atlanta is sitting at 3-4 with a tough game against the Patriots coming up and its playoff hopes in serious jeopardy.</p><h2><b>Joe Flacco brings back the full Bengals experience</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Joe-Flacco-throwing-a-pass-against-the-Jets.jpg"><figcaption>© Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Joe Flacco was a revelation for the Bengals in his second start since being traded from the Browns, picking up an improbable prime time win over the Steelers. Flacco seemingly revived the Bengals’ offense, including the fantasy football stock of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, giving fans optimism that Cincy could stay in the division hunt with Joe Burrow out of the lineup.</p><p>Unfortunately for the Bengals, the addition of Flacco has restored the full Bengals experience. Flacco, Chase and company carved up a putrid Jets defense on Sunday, but Justin Fields, Breece Hall and company had no trouble scoring on a terrible Cincinnati defense in a 39-38 win to get New York on the board this season.</p><p>Sunday looked like so many Bengals losses over the years, no matter who was at quarterback. Chase popped off and was the engine of the offense and Tee Higgins hit a big-play touchdown, but the defense let them down in what ended up being a very frustrating loss.</p><p>In fact, the Jets finished the week with a top-five mark in both overall EPA per play and EPA per pass. Not bad for a team whose owner was at war with the starting quarterback during the week.</p><h2><b>Panthers finally get to the test and leave with a big fat F</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Oliver-vs-the-Panthers.jpg"><figcaption>Bob Donnan-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Carolina Panthers were one of the surprises of the league through seven weeks and entered Week 8 sitting at 4-3, right in the mix in the NFC playoff picture. However, it was easy to pick apart some of those wins. Carolina beat the Jets, it beat up a terrible Cowboys defense, and it beat the dreadful Dolphins.</p><p>On Sunday, Carolina faced a big test against the Buffalo Bills. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/fantasy-sports/bills-news-james-cook-more-valuable-fantasy-football-weapon-than-josh-allen">James Cook ran wild for 216 yards</a> and the Bills crushed Carolina 40-9 in a clash of two teams that are clearly on different levels.</p><p>The Panthers get somewhat of a pass for this loss because Bryce Young was out and Andy Dalton played terribly, including a couple of shocking rookie mistakes, but Carolina was exposed on every level on both sides of the ball in this game. If a Week 9 matchup with the Packers goes wrong on top of this and the Panthers drop to 4-5, it might be time to start looking at mock drafts in Carolina.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL Week 8 Losers: Vikings, Falcons, Panthers slapped with reality checks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-why-carson-wentz-insisted-on-playing-through-pain-before-surgery-decision');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Vikings’ Carson Wentz insisted on playing through pain before surgery decision');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Carson-Wentz-throwing.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Vikings’ Carson Wentz insisted on playing through pain before surgery decision</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-28T09:59:44-07:00">October 28th, 9:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-28T09:59:44-07:00">October 28th, 9:59am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-carson-wentz-shoulder-surgery">Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz will have season-ending shoulder surgery</a>, it adds another injury to the position, as he originally filled in for J.J. McCarthy. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-carson-wentz-played-through-pain-chargers-loss">Wentz played through a lot of pain for the Vikings</a> in recent games, head coach Kevin O’Connell provides insight into the veteran quarterback wanting to continue.</p><p>According to Kevin Seifert, O’Connell said on a radio show, KFAN1003, that Wentz<a href="https://x.com/SeifertESPN/status/1983208717836312601" rel="noopener"> “repeatedly”</a> said to the head coach that he desired to keep playing “as long as he possibly could.”</p><p>“Kevin O’Connell insisted that Carson Wentz told him repeatedly that he wanted to play as long as he possibly could after injuring his left shoulder,” Seifert wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “It had been a while since he had played meaningful games. Per O’Connell, Wentz decided Friday morning it was time to have surgery.”</p><p>While some might say that Wentz continuing to play through pain is damaging, O’Connell <a href="https://x.com/SeifertESPN/status/1983207473407205878" rel="noopener">would negate that notion.</a></p><p>“There was never a point in time where, medically, we were going against the grain of what was in Carson’s best interest and ultimately what Carson wanted to kind of see through,” O’Connell said.</p><h2><b>Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Carson-Wentz_ea8ca6.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-kevin-oconnell-makes-jj-mccarthy-promise-after-chargers-loss">Vikings hoping to see McCarthy return after losing to the Los Angeles Chargers</a> last Thursday, Wentz had been hoping to keep the ship afloat, but he first got hurt earlier in the month. Reportedly, Wentz <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46748807/vikings-wentz-season-ending-shoulder-surgery" rel="noopener">“has been playing through a dislocated shoulder that included a torn labrum</a> and fractured socket,” according to ESPN.</p><p>“The pain is pain,” Wentz said. “I felt like I could still help this team and find a way to go down and score and all that stuff. So, we knew that coming into the game, that it was going to be part of it. And again, that’s the tough part of Thursday night games. [You] just don’t quite get the chance to recover, but that’s no excuse by any means.”</p><p>Wentz had thrown for 1,216 yards to go along with six touchdowns and five interceptions, but now is sidelined for the rest of the slate, looking for a full recovery.</p><p>At any rate, Minnesota currently has a 3-4 record, which puts the team last in the NFC North, as now that Wentz is done for the season, McCarthy’s return would be apt if plausible. If not, the other quarterback on the roster is rookie Max Brosmer.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Vikings’ Carson Wentz insisted on playing through pain before surgery decision

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-carson-wentz-shoulder-surgery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Carson Wentz to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Carson-Wentz_ea8ca6.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Carson Wentz to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T14:15:49-07:00">October 27th, 2:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T14:47:13-07:00">October 27th, 2:47pm</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings were dealt bad news. Their QB, Carson Wentz, who <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-carson-wentz-played-through-pain-chargers-loss" rel="noopener">recently played through pain</a>, is out for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. </p><p>As a result, Wentz will eventually have to undergo surgery. The signs that he would be out came when he <a href="https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-vikings-quarterback-carson-wentz-injured-jj-mccarthy-nfl/601506414" rel="noopener">missed out on practice</a>, per Emily Leiker of the Minnesota Star Tribune. Last Thursday, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-editorials/vikings-most-blame-blowout-loss-tnf-vs-chargers" rel="noopener">Vikings were blown out</a> by the Los Angeles Chargers 37-10. </p><p>Over the course of the game, Wentz was sacked five times. Altogether, he finished the game with 144 passing yards and one touchdown. Plus, Wentz has a 55.6% pass completion rate. </p><p>The origins of the injury <a href="https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1982924318402322464" rel="noopener">dates back</a> to the Vikings’ game in London against the Clevland Browns on Oct.5, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. In the process, Went dislocated his shoulder that tore his labrum and suffered a fracture.</p><p>In the end, Wentz finishes the season with 1,216 passing yards, six touchdowns, and a QB rating of 85.8. Meanwhile, the Vikings are now 3-4 on the year and will take on the Detroit Lions on Sunday. </p><p>In August, Wentz <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-signing-carson-wentz-after-eagles-trade" rel="noopener">signed a one-year contract</a> with Minnesota after being traded by the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, the Vikings are going with J.J. McCarthy as the starting QB. Also, rookie Max Brosmer will step up as the backup quarterback. So far, McCarthy has 301 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a passer rating of 67.2. </p><p>At the start of the year, McCarthy <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-jj-mccarthy-attention-first-ig-post-epic-win-bears" rel="noopener">had a breakout game</a> against the Chicago Bears. He had two touchdown passes and ran for another in a 27-24 victory. </p><h2><b>Carson Wentz’s career is at a crossroads</b>.</h2><p>This catastrophic injury puts Wentz in a precarious position. In recent years, he has played for at least six different teams, most recently the Eagles. During that time, Wentz was confined to a backup quarterback role. </p><p>Furthermore, he has experienced a recent string of injuries that include a concussion, torn ACL, and a knee injury. In 2018, his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-news-carson-wentz-wont-change-style-of-play-after-acl-injury" rel="noopener">season-ending ACL injury came</a> as the Eagles made their run to the Super Bowl. Now, he will have to undergo a rigorous and lengthy recovery following surgery.</p><p>As a result, Wentz’s status in the league is very much up in the air. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Carson Wentz to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-dan-orlovsky-doesnt-hold-back-disappointing-start');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dan Orlovsky doesn’t hold back on Vikings’ disappointing start');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Minnesota-Vikings.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dan Orlovsky doesn’t hold back on Vikings’ disappointing start</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-24T19:34:30-07:00">October 24th, 7:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-24T19:34:30-07:00">October 24th, 7:34pm</time><address><a href="http://tylereasterday.journoportfolio.com">Tyler Easterday</a>Tyler Easterday covers primarily the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints. Tyler is an avid fan of the Cincinnati Bengals and Cincinnati Bearcats after graduating from the University of Cincinnati in May 2025. In his free time, Tyler enjoys playing video games and fishing."</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former NFL quarterback and current analyst Dan Orlovsky was asked how he viewed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-editorials/vikings-most-blame-blowout-loss-tnf-vs-chargers">the Minnesota Vikings’ recent 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers</a>, and his response did not disappoint.</p><p>“I think this is the most disappointing roster in football right now,” Orlovsky <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNFL/status/1981827157555925162" rel="noopener">said of the loss</a>. “This is an organization that this offseason spent the 2nd-most free agent money in the NFL. This was a roster that was built in many of our eyes to be quarterback independent. One, this offensive line cannot protect on a consistent basis at all. Two, this run defense has been run all over this season. It happened again. The Chargers came out and were just like ‘Here’s a three tight end run game. Stop it.'”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I think this is the most disappointing roster in football right now."<a href="https://twitter.com/danorlovsky7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@danorlovsky7</a> weighs in on the Vikings after their loss to the Chargers on Thursday 👀 <a href="https://t.co/1jRkdTwCPP">pic.twitter.com/1jRkdTwCPP</a></p><p>— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNFL/status/1981827157555925162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>He went on to say that, despite what many think, Carson Wentz is not the problem in Minnesota. “Anybody who wants to tell me Carson Wentz is the issue right now in Minnesota, we can have a conversation, and I’ll tell you you’re out of your mind,” he said.</p><p>Wentz has started five games this season for the Vikings, his most since 2022. With Week 1 starter <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-kevin-oconnell-makes-jj-mccarthy-promise-after-chargers-loss">JJ McCarthy expected to return in Week 9</a>, this could spell the end of Wentz’s time as a starter in the Land of a Thousand Lakes. With just six touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 40.6 quarterback rating, it hasn’t been the best of showings for the former second overall pick.</p><p>According to Orlovsky, however, it hasn’t been entirely Wentz’s fault. The offensive line has given up 4 sacks per game, the third-worst in the NFL this season. His remark about the defense not being able to stop the run holds true as well, as Brian Flores’ group has given up 130 rushing yards per game, the eighth-worst mark in the league. The rushing offense hasn’t given him much help either, with only 93.9 yards on the ground on average.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dan Orlovsky doesn’t hold back on Vikings’ disappointing start

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl-editorials/vikings-most-blame-blowout-loss-tnf-vs-chargers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings most to blame for blowout loss on TNF vs. Chargers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Carson-Wentz_cf33c9.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings most to blame for blowout loss on TNF vs. Chargers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-24T05:00:40-07:00">October 24th, 5:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-24T06:13:24-07:00">October 24th, 6:13am</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is a veteran editor and writer for print and digital media. He also created and oversaw video and event production departments for legacy media brands. Mike is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Both the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Chargers were coming off disappointing losses to conference rivals when they met on Thursday night in Week 8. Both teams were hoping to bounce back in prime time despite dealing with injuries on a short week. But it was the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-chargers/chargers-news-1-thing-jim-harbaugh-loved-win-vikings">Chargers who won in a blowout</a> as Los Angeles thoroughly outplayed the Vikings in all three phases on Thursday Night Football.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-carson-wentz-getting-thursday-night-football-start-week-8">Carson Wentz drew the start</a> in Week 8 for Minnesota. The 10th-year veteran filled in for an injured J.J. McCarthy for the fifth straight game. The Wentz experience has been a bumpy ride for the Vikings. But he led the team to a 2-2 record as the starter entering Thursday night’s matchup. And Minnesota’s offense has generally looked better with Wentz at the helm than it did in McCarthy’s two starts.</p><h2><b>Wentz in doubt</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Carson-Wentz-throwing.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>However, Wentz deserves the lion’s share of the blame for the Vikings’ 37-10 loss to the Chargers. It’s not all on the quarterback, obviously. He wasn’t out there playing terrible defense or failing to pass protect. But Wentz simply did not play well enough for Minnesota to win.</p><p>To be fair, the much-maligned QB was limited in practice after injuring his left shoulder against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. And it was clear <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-carson-wentz-played-through-pain-chargers-loss">Wentz was playing through pain</a> against the Chargers.</p><p>Additionally, the Vikings’ offensive line is both injured and ineffective. The unit was missing Brian O’Neill and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-christian-darrisaw-knee-injury-tnf-vs-chargers">Christian Darrisaw left the game</a> with a knee ailment. So Minnesota lost its two starting tackles.</p><p>Still, Wentz’s performance Thursday wasn’t good enough, especially considering the talent around him on the Vikings’ offense.</p><p>Wentz barely completed half his passes, going 15/27 for 144 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked five times by a stronger-than-expected Chargers’ defense. Of course the banged up O-line didn’t help matters but Wentz also consistently held onto the ball far too long, creating sack opportunities for LA.</p><p>The Chargers’ secondary did a good job limiting the Vikings’ dynamic pass catchers. This contributed to the quarterback’s tendency to hold the ball. But Wentz looked indecisive in the pocket and he wasn’t able to sustain the offense. Minnesota’s longest drive of the game was nine plays for a total of 35 yards. That led to a field goal.</p><p>The Vikings scored their sole touchdown Thursday after a Joshua Metellus interception set the team up deep in Chargers’ territory. Despite the good fortune, Wentz still needed six plays and significant assistance from the officials to get in the end zone. After a replay review wiped out a fumble and two LA penalties extended the drive, Wentz finally found Jordan Addison for a four-yard score. The Chargers responded by ending the contest with 13 unanswered points.</p><h2><b>Nowhere to run</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Jordan-Mason.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-chargers/vikings-news-fans-roast-carson-wentz-for-dismal-tnf-performance-in-chargers-loss">Wentz’s dismal TNF performance</a> deserves criticism, the Vikings’ run game shouldn’t go unmentioned when doling out blame. Minnesota got Aaron Jones back from a four-game absence Thursday. Jones landed on IR after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 2. But the former Pro Bowler couldn’t move the needle in his return to the field as the team remained stuck in neutral all night.</p><p>Minnesota also featured Jones’ capable backup Jordan Mason against the Chargers on Thursday. Mason filled in nicely while the starter was sidelined and the Vikings took a committee approach in the backfield for Jones’ return game.</p><p>The two RBs did in fact split the Week 8 carries. All nine of them. Jones ran the ball five times for 15 scoreless yards. And Mason turned four rushes into three yards. That’s a 0.8 yards per carry average. Not ideal.</p><p>Undrafted rookie Zavier Scott led the Vikings with 16 rushing yards, picking up two totes on Minnesota’s final drive after Kevin O’Connell pulled the starters.</p><p>As mentioned previously, the offensive line was compromised for Thursday’s game. But even with replacement-level blocking you would expect Jones and Mason to contribute more than 18 combined yards.</p><h2><b>Questioning KOC</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Kevin-OConnell.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While fans expected more yardage from Jones and Mason, they probably also anticipated more than nine combined carries. O’Connell obviously has a sterling reputation. But the reigning Coach of the Year made some questionable decisions in Week 8.</p><p>Including Scott’s garbage time contribution, the Vikings ran the ball 11 times Thursday night. Wentz and Max Brosmer combined for 31 pass attempts. That’s probably not a winning formula when you’re playing an injured backup quarterback.</p><p>Although the Chargers have a strong overall defense, they’re tougher against the pass (seventh in the league) than against the run (17th). Yes, the game got out of hand and the Vikings were in comeback mode, which skews the run/pass balance.</p><p>But O’Connell had a pass-first mentality right from the start in Week 8. The Vikings threw 16 passes in the first half while running the ball just five times. Minnesota was only down 14-3 for most of the second quarter. Los Angeles scored a touchdown with less than a minute remaining in the half, extending the lead to 21-3.</p><p>KOC does love passing. But the game plan is a bit baffling. Abandoning the run early, the Vikings were unable to sustain drives. Minnesota punted four times and turned the ball over on downs. The Chargers didn’t punt a single time and converted seven scoring drives.</p><p>LA ran for 207 yards – the Vikings had just 34 rushing yards. This allowed the Chargers to nearly double Minnesota’s time of possession (39:04 to 20:56).</p><h2><b>Getting defensive</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Harrison-Smith.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Justin Herbert has had some ups and downs this season but he looked poised and decisive on Thursday. The Chargers’ QB threw for 227 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.</p><p>However, Herbert killed the Vikings with his legs. Minnesota’s defensive line routinely got caught too far upfield. And every time the defense failed to maintain discipline, Herbert made them pay. He simply bolted from the pocket untouched for chunk gains time and again.</p><p>Herbert picked up a season-high 62 rushing yards against the Vikings. And he was just taking what the defense was generously giving him.</p><p>Los Angeles lost its top two running backs to IR. Omarion Hampton is expected back at some point this year while Najee Harris is done for the season. The injuries to the rushers led to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-chargers/chargers-rumors-alvin-kamara-breece-hall-floated-rb-trade-pursuit">speculation that the Chargers would pursue a trade</a>. However, third-stringer Kimani Vidal looked like a legit starter in Week 8.</p><p>Vidal led the Chargers’ rushing attack, taking 23 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown. Los Angeles churned out 207 rushing yards on 43 carries, dominated time of possession and sustained drives by fighting through arm tackles by Minnesota’s defense.</p><p>Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is not going to be a happy man when reviewing the game tape from Thursday night. It’s imperative that Minnesota improve its run defense. The team currently ranks 24th in the league against the rush, allowing 130.4 yards per game. It’s an area the Vikings will need to improve with their offense taking a big step back in Sam Darnold’s absence.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings most to blame for blowout loss on TNF vs. Chargers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-kevin-oconnell-explains-christian-darrisaw-injury-saga');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell explains curious Christian Darrisaw injury saga');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Vikings-news-Kevin-O-Connell-explains-curious-Christian-Darrisaw-injury-saga.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell explains curious Christian Darrisaw injury saga</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T23:16:14-07:00">October 23rd, 11:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T23:17:01-07:00">October 23rd, 11:17pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Vikings lost their seat atop the AFC West after getting <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-chargers/chargers-news-1-thing-jim-harbaugh-loved-win-vikings">pillaged by the Los Angeles Chargers, 37-10</a>, at SoFi Stadium on Thursday.</p><p>The Vikings dropped back-to-back assignments for the first time this season after also losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7. They fell to 3-4.</p><p>Minnesota’s woes were compounded after left tackle <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-christian-darrisaw-knee-injury-tnf-vs-chargers">Christian Darrisaw reaggravated his knee injury</a> in the first half and did not return. With Darrisaw possibly sitting out for an extended period, the Vikings’ offensive line will get even thinner.</p><p>After the game, Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell stayed mum on the severity of Darrisaw’s situation, although he tried to <a href="https://twitter.com/alec_lewis/status/1981582502708809729" rel="noopener">explain the circumstances</a> surrounding it.</p><p>“Whether it was (because of playing in) Dublin, going into London, the high snap count, or it’s just the fact that we have Christian on a plan of attack every week. Based on the idea of the type of injury he’s coming back from, I’m not going to go into detail with what that injury was, but I would just say there is a layer to Christian doing everything he can,” said O’Connell, as quoted by The Athletic’s Alec Lewis.</p><p>“But when he has a higher snap count or you’re on a very short week of travel and everything, there’s just only so much that we can do.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here was Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell on Christian Darrisaw: <a href="https://t.co/zoPM3ayPIw">pic.twitter.com/zoPM3ayPIw</a></p><p>— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/alec_lewis/status/1981582502708809729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Vikings beat the Cleveland Browns, 21-17, in London in Week 5 before getting a bye week. They then had 67 plays for 382 yards against the Eagles.</p><p>The 26-year-old Darrisaw only played seven games last season due to a knee injury. He signed a four-year contract extension worth up to $113 million in 2024.</p><p>O’Connell stated that they can provide a detailed report after Darrisaw undergoes tests.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell explains curious Christian Darrisaw injury saga

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-nfl-call-correct-al-michaels-will-reichard-fg-stat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Did NFL call in to correct Al Michaels on Will Reichard FG stat?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Al-Michaels.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Did NFL call in to correct Al Michaels on Will Reichard FG stat?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T22:41:19-07:00">October 23rd, 10:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T23:11:06-07:00">October 23rd, 11:11pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is a veteran editor and writer for print and digital media. He also created and oversaw video and event production departments for legacy media brands. Mike is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Vikings lost for the second time in five days after the team’s no-show on Thursday Night Football. A banged up <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-carson-wentz-getting-thursday-night-football-start-week-8">Carson Wentz got the start</a> but struggled against a strong Los Angeles Chargers defense. Vikings fans hope to forget the 37-10 Week 8 drubbing. And apparently they’re not alone.</p><p>The NFL would like viewers to forget a comment that Al Michaels made in the first half of the TNF matchup. The veteran announcer explained that Vikings kicker Will Reichard only had one missed field goal this season. And that miss came on a kick that hit a camera wire when Minnesota played in London.</p><p>That statement seems to have struck a nerve at the league office. Because when Reichard lined up for a 32-yard try in the third quarter, Michaels <a href="https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1981549707651666191" rel="noopener">issued a correction</a> of sorts.</p><p>“The league wants to take my lunch away because I said before that Reichard’s only miss was hitting a wire in London. The league says, ‘No, no. It was an optical illusion.’ Not what Reichard thinks. Anyway, there you have it. We cleaned it up,” Michaels said, per The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov.</p><h2><b>Al Michaels creates Wiregate with odd correction on Vikings’ FG miss</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Will-Reichard.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The kick in question occurred in the fourth quarter of the Vikings’ Week 5 matchup with the Cleveland Browns. Reichard had been a perfect 4-4 from 50+ yards at that point. And his 51-yard attempt against the Browns appeared to be on-line until it <a href="https://x.com/PurpleForTheWin/status/1974925411604902312" rel="noopener">suddenly veered to the right</a>.</p><p>When a ball hits a wire it results in a re-kick. But the refs either missed the interference or didn’t think there was contact. Ultimately, Reichard’s attempt officially was ruled a miss, wide right.</p><p>Interestingly, the NFL’s stance immediately after the Vikings’ Week 5 win overseas was that there was <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-didnt-have-clear-view-of-vikings-field-goal-striking-camera-cable">no clear view</a> of the ball hitting the wire, per PFF. It seems fairly obvious that the league reached out to Michaels during Week 8’s Thursday Night Football broadcast and asked for a correction. But did officials tell the announcer to refer to the incident as an “optical illusion” or was that a tongue-in-cheek ad-lib from Michaels?</p><p>In either case, the controversial kick is no longer the only blemish on Reichard’s record this season. He missed a 53-yard attempt at the end of the first half with Minnesota trailing 21-3. The Vikings fell to 3-4 on the season with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-thursday-night-football-loss-chargers">ugly 37-10 loss to the Chargers</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Did NFL call in to correct Al Michaels on Will Reichard FG stat?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-carson-wentz-played-through-pain-chargers-loss');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings QB Carson Wentz played through ‘a lot of pain’ in Chargers loss');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Wentz-warms-up.jpg"><figcaption>Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings QB Carson Wentz played through ‘a lot of pain’ in Chargers loss</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T21:58:26-07:00">October 23rd, 9:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T21:58:26-07:00">October 23rd, 9:58pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Vikings’ 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football was more than just another defeat — it was a test of toughness for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-chargers/vikings-news-fans-roast-carson-wentz-for-dismal-tnf-performance-in-chargers-loss">quarterback Carson Wentz</a>. Battling through a painful left shoulder injury, the veteran played the entire game despite clear discomfort. He completed 15-of 27-passes for 144 yards with one touchdown and one interception while taking four sacks in the loss.</p><p>ESPN’s Kevin Seifert took to his X (formerly known as Twitter) account, posting a quote from the Vikings quarterback <a href="https://x.com/SeifertESPN/status/1981577078077354383" rel="noopener">who said he had never</a> used that much padding or wrap to protect an injury. Wentz admitted he played through significant pain to stay on the field for his team.</p><p>“Yeah, not proud of that. Apologize to the equipment guys for that one. But yeah, I was in a good amount of pain.”</p><p>The shoulder issue, first suffered in Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns, flared up again after repeated hits from an aggressive Chargers front. Justin Eboigbe led Los Angeles with two sacks, while Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Odafe Oweh each added one. Despite constant pressure, Wentz refused to come out, showing visible discomfort but continuing to lead the offense. His effort earned praise from head coach Kevin O’Connell and teammates, who called it a display of leadership and grit.</p><p>The Vikings offense struggled to find rhythm behind a depleted line that allowed consistent pressure. Minnesota managed to rack up just 164 total yards, with Aaron Jones scoring the team’s only touchdown on a 12-yard reception. With left tackle Christian Darrisaw leaving early, protection issues only worsened, exposing Wentz to more hits that aggravated his shoulder.</p><p>Though <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-thursday-night-football-loss-chargers">the Vikings fell to 3-4 and last</a> in the NFC North, the 32-year-old signal caller’s determination stood out. His willingness to push through pain embodied the mindset the Vikings will need as they look to regroup ahead of Week 9.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings QB Carson Wentz played through ‘a lot of pain’ in Chargers loss

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-kevin-oconnell-makes-jj-mccarthy-promise-after-chargers-loss');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell makes JJ McCarthy promise after Chargers loss');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Minnesota-Vikings-quarterback-JJ-McCarthy-scrambles-for-a-gain-against-the-Houston-Texans.jpg"><figcaption>© Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell makes JJ McCarthy promise after Chargers loss</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T21:30:00-07:00">October 23rd, 9:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T22:11:24-07:00">October 23rd, 10:11pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Vikings are now 3-4 following a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-thursday-night-football-loss-chargers">37-10 road loss</a> to the Los Angeles Chargers, which featured another rough outing for quarterback Carson Wentz. Many fans are clamoring for young JJ McCarthy, who has missed the last five games with a high-ankle sprain. There was some speculation that the team may not want him on the field with an injury-ravaged offensive line, but head coach Kevin O’Connell is making <a href="https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1981572452246274150" rel="noopener">his stance on the second-year signal-caller</a> quite clear.</p><p>“If JJ is healthy, JJ will play,” he said, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The hope is that McCarthy will be ready to play next Sunday versus the Detroit Lions following this extended break. If this squad is going to fall behind in a tough NFC North, then the Vikings’ main focus must be on developing the former No. 10 overall pick.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-fans-doubt-jj-mccarthy-injury-sideline-tnf-moment">McCarthy did look spry</a> during Thursday’s beatdown, so perhaps he is indeed on the verge of returning. Minnesota must protect him, though, something the undermanned O-Line has struggled to do for Wentz. The veteran QB was sacked five times in LA, marking the fourth game this season he has been sacked three or more times. Yikes.</p><p>If that worrisome trend continues with JJ McCarthy under center, the 22-year-old could very well wind up back on the shelf. Durability is already a major concern. The best way to keep him upright and healthy is to construct a sturdy wall of protection. Vikings left tackle <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-christian-darrisaw-knee-injury-tnf-vs-chargers">Christian Darrisaw re-aggravated his knee injury</a> on Thursday, and right tackle Brian O’Neill did not play at all because of his own knee issue.</p><p>The remaining schedule could give Minnesota some fits, especially if injuries continue to pile up. JJ McCarthy will focus on clearing his last hurdles before resuming starting QB duties. He has completed 58.5 percent of his passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell makes JJ McCarthy promise after Chargers loss

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-thursday-night-football-loss-chargers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings fans in shambles after horrible TNF outcome vs. Chargers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Kevin-OConnell-1.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings fans in shambles after horrible TNF outcome vs. Chargers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T21:27:50-07:00">October 23rd, 9:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T21:27:50-07:00">October 23rd, 9:27pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Vikings’ 37-10 Thursday Night Football loss to the Los Angeles Chargers sent the team’s fanbase into an emotional tailspin. Now sitting at 3-4, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-carson-wentz-getting-thursday-night-football-start-week-8">the Vikings looked overwhelmed</a> in every phase of the game Thursday night—and fans on social media didn’t hold back. What began with cautious optimism quickly spiraled into visible frustration and pointed blame toward the team’s growing dysfunction.</p><p>The most viral reactions captured the heartbreak and humor. User @TheGhettoGronk posted a video of a <a href="https://x.com/TheGhettoGronk/status/1981561718821310721" rel="noopener">dramatic phone call</a> scene and the caption: “Justin Jefferson after giving the FBI an anonymous tip that Carson Wentz is gambling on Vikings games.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Justin Jefferson after giving the FBI an anonymous tip that Carson Wentz is gambling on Vikings games <a href="https://t.co/CX3wVIijKw">pic.twitter.com/CX3wVIijKw</a></p><p>— GhettoGronk (@TheGhettoGronk) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheGhettoGronk/status/1981561718821310721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>It summed up the mounting frustration, as the receiving corps repeatedly found separation, only to be ignored. The shaky performance from Wentz only amplified the chaos. Sacked five times and visibly uneasy behind a broken offensive line, his indecision stalled any Vikings offensive momentum. Fan @bigsportscasual shared a <a href="https://x.com/bigsportscasual/status/1981508949758095654" rel="noopener">video montage with the following</a> assertion: “The Vikings have one of the best WR duos in the league &amp; are wasting them imo”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Vikings have one of the best WR duos in the league &amp; are wasting them imo <a href="https://t.co/L8ekC8VkK2">pic.twitter.com/L8ekC8VkK2</a></p><p>— Casual Sports Fan (@bigsportscasual) <a href="https://twitter.com/bigsportscasual/status/1981508949758095654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The defense didn’t offer any relief. Allowing 419 total yards, the Vikings defense struggles were fully exposed. Missed tackles, broken assignments, and a lack of urgency made the unit look completely outmatched. User @verysadvikings posted the following meme, <a href="https://x.com/verysadvikings/status/1981550278840373453" rel="noopener">metaphorically illustrating</a> how lethargic the defense looked.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Guys it’s third down we can get the ball back!!”</p><p>Vikings defense <a href="https://t.co/IhgxlHxhG5">pic.twitter.com/IhgxlHxhG5</a></p><p>— 𝙆𝙖𝙨𝙚 (@verysadvikings) <a href="https://twitter.com/verysadvikings/status/1981550278840373453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The misery was capped by a post from @Yfz84, capturing just how bad it was in <a href="https://x.com/Yfz84/status/1981525599442071967">one brutally honest line</a>: “The Vikings defense is almost as bad as the Vikings offense”</p><p>Injuries to Christian Darrisaw and Josh Oliver deepened the concern, while rookie J.J. McCarthy remains sidelined. Head coach Kevin O’Connell’s postgame tone didn’t inspire confidence.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/minnesota-vikings-biggest-reason-to-panic-after-start-of-2025-nfl-training-camp">Vikings now face a crucial stretch</a>, with the season teetering between salvageable and lost. Thursday night wasn’t just a defeat—it was a televised unraveling, punctuated by a fanbase that has had enough.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings fans in shambles after horrible TNF outcome vs. Chargers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-christian-darrisaw-knee-injury-tnf-vs-chargers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings’ Christian Darrisaw re-aggravates knee injury on TNF vs. Chargers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Christian-Darrisaw-re-aggravates-knee-injury-on-TNF-vs.-Chargers.jpg"><figcaption>© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings’ Christian Darrisaw re-aggravates knee injury on TNF vs. Chargers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T19:38:28-07:00">October 23rd, 7:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T19:38:28-07:00">October 23rd, 7:38pm</time><address><a>Allan Binoy</a>Allan Binoy is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NCAA Football, and NBA for ClutchPoints. With a deep passion for storytelling and analysis, he brings fans closer to the action by breaking down the biggest moments and storylines across the world of sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Chargers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Minnesota <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-christian-darrisaw-official-designation-bears-game">Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw re-aggravated a knee injury</a> and <a href="https://x.com/Vikings/status/1981540409802461436" rel="noopener">did not return</a> to Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the team announced, as it also downgraded tight end Josh Oliver to out.  </p><p>Darrisaw exited in the first half after showing clear discomfort following a play that left him favoring the leg. Trainers examined him on the sideline and, after a brief evaluation, the team ruled him out for the remainder of the night. Justin Skule stepped in at left tackle and handled the remaining snaps. The move forced Minnesota to reshuffle its already-thin offensive line against a Chargers pass rush that tested the backups.  </p><p>Darrisaw, a key protector for the Minnesota offense, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-vikings-christian-darrisaw-sheds-light-on-injury-return-timetable">had battled intermittent knee trouble this season</a> and was only recently cleared to play after pregame testing. His absence left the Vikings without their primary blindside bookend at a moment when run and pass blocking mattered most. Coach Kevin O’Connell offered a measured update after halftime, saying trainers would provide a fuller report once tests conclude. </p><p>This is familiar territory for Darrisaw, who has battled through wear-and-tear issues since entering the league. The Vikings must now weigh short-term fixes against long-term health; an injured left tackle can be hard to replace and even harder to duplicate in protection schemes. Fantasy and depth-watchers will track early tests and X-rays; for now, Minnesota’s offensive-line outlook looks shakier than it did at kickoff.  </p><p>The Vikings’ medical staff and front office face quick decisions: further imaging, a recovery timeline, and whether to lean on Skule and reserves or explore outside help. Until the team gives a clearer diagnosis, fans and analysts will only have one certainty, that tonight’s win-or-lose margins got a lot more complicated without Christian Darrisaw on the field.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings’ Christian Darrisaw re-aggravates knee injury on TNF vs. Chargers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-fans-doubt-jj-mccarthy-injury-sideline-tnf-moment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings fans doubt JJ McCarthy’s injury after wild sideline TNF moment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/J.J.-McCarthy.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Krohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings fans doubt JJ McCarthy’s injury after wild sideline TNF moment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T19:22:33-07:00">October 23rd, 7:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T23:29:26-07:00">October 23rd, 11:29pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is a veteran editor and writer for print and digital media. He also created and oversaw video and event production departments for legacy media brands. Mike is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Vikings once again turned to backup quarterback Carson Wentz for Week 8’s Thursday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-jj-mccarthy-aaron-jones-both-likely-miss-week-3-injuries">J.J. McCarthy has been sidelined by a high ankle sprain</a> since Week 2. The Vikings’ ostensible starting quarterback missed his fifth straight game Thursday.</p><p>Kevin O’Connell said he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-what-kevin-oconnell-jj-mccarthy-order-return">wanted to see McCarthy</a> “use his athleticism” in “reactionary movements” in order to return to the field. So perhaps the Vikings head coach was encouraged by the QB’s sideline sidestep in the second quarter.</p><p>McCarthy’s agility was on full display when Justin Jefferson was forced out of bounds after picking up the first down on a 3rd &amp; 5 grab. The All-Pro wideout barrel rolled in the direction of the second-year passer, who was standing on the sideline. But McCarthy deftly <a href="https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1981528078980403248" rel="noopener">avoided getting taken out</a> by jumping out of harm’s way, per The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Justin Jefferson nearly took out JJ McCarthy while making this catch near the sideline — but McCarthy jumped out of the way just in time.</p><p>McCarthy even got a first-down celebration in after.<a href="https://t.co/IyVRN0ZW9Z">pic.twitter.com/IyVRN0ZW9Z</a></p><p>— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1981528078980403248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Vikings fans lose patience with J.J. McCarthy injury absence</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/J.J.-McCarthy-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The sequence caused some fans to question the severity of the quarterback’s ankle sprain, given his nimble escape. There’s been plenty of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-bill-simmons-speculates-j-j-mccarthys-injury-not-what-it-seems">speculation about McCarthy’s injury</a> due to his lengthy absence.</p><p>The Vikings have stated their goal is to keep the former first-round draft pick out until he’s fully healthy. But others find the six-game absence suspicious, particularly as it comes on the heels of an awful showing in Week 2 – McCarthy’s second start for Minnesota.</p><p>McCarthy has missed 22 of 24 games since the Vikings selected him 10th overall in the 2024 draft. Fans’ patience is wearing thin, as evidenced by the response to his sideline dodge of Jefferson on Thursday.</p><p><a href="https://x.com/jarrett_daveler/status/1981528150589710732" rel="noopener">Chives</a> wrote:<br>“That ankle don’t look so sprained”</p><p><a href="https://x.com/Knuckles_ZN/status/1981528238787633170" rel="noopener">BDP</a> commented:<br>“Yeah he looks fine lmfao definitely a soft benching and that says a lot about him considering how bad Wentz is”</p><p><a href="https://x.com/iamcogs/status/1981529260629098597" rel="noopener">Grim Cutty</a> added:<br>“Must have forgot about that high ankle sprain..”</p><p><a href="https://x.com/JackTheRum/status/1981531090608419238" rel="noopener">Beans The Sparrow</a> joked:<br>“He will need another 2-6 weeks to recover, Per Adam Schefter”</p><p><a href="https://x.com/famousbigc/status/1981530512373277006" rel="noopener">Prince</a> commented:<br>“Lmao. JJ McCarthy forgot that his ankle is supposed to still be ‘injured’”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YDS	TOUCHDOWNS	POSITION RANK
0	162	1	-

2025 SEASON STATS
RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YDS	TOUCHDOWNS	POSITION RANK
0	162	1	-

Jalen
Nailor

2022 Projected vs Actual Pts

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• Vikings fans in shambles after horrible TNF outcome vs. Chargers

• Vikings’ Christian Darrisaw re-aggravates knee injury on TNF vs. Chargers

• Vikings fans doubt JJ McCarthy’s injury after wild sideline TNF moment

Jalen Nailor

2022 Projected vs Actual Pts

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• Vikings QB Carson Wentz played through ‘a lot of pain’ in Chargers loss

• Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell makes JJ McCarthy promise after Chargers loss

• Vikings fans in shambles after horrible TNF outcome vs. Chargers

• Vikings’ Christian Darrisaw re-aggravates knee injury on TNF vs. Chargers

• Vikings fans doubt JJ McCarthy’s injury after wild sideline TNF moment

Jalen
Nailor