In a recent discussion, Sheil and Ben delved into their Week 3 NFL picks and highlighted the key storylines worth keeping an eye on. Amid all the news surrounding the franchise and their upcoming matchup against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Chicago Bears are facing the possibility of reaching a low point in their season. They also discussed the Chargers’ game plan and upcoming performance predictions.
Made the worst bet of my life today on Extra Point Taken
Full ep: https://t.co/wRzIoRGZj7 pic.twitter.com/SSjsgNhrry
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) September 22, 2023
During the talk show, Benjamin Solak shared his thoughts on the Chargers’ game:
“The Chargers are a cursed and a disgusting franchise, for whom no faith should be placed. In whom no good and righteous man should put his heart. With that said, they are so clearly better than the Vikings. They are so obviously a better football team and they’re 1.5-point underdogs to the Minnesota Vikings. There are going to be a lot of points in this game. Chargers right now, dead last in defensive success rate. Brian Flores, coming for Justin Herbert, and then Kellen Moore is gonna be a great matchup on that side of the ball. But the Vikings do not have horses, defensively. I do not think they have a way to fluster Herbert the way that they flustered Hurts.”
He continued, “The Chargers are a more talented, more successful team than the Vikings. And they absolutely, unequivocally, should beat them with their season on the line.”
Solak emphasized, “If this was like Week 1, and they were 1.5, I would look at it, and be like, this is so obviously a trap, and they’re gonna lose this game.”
Towards the end, he chanted, “The Chargers are gonna cover, the Chargers are gonna cover, the Chargers are gonna cover.”
Let’s be honest about what’s at stake if the Chargers lose this weekend:
• Chargers would miss playoffs
• Brandon Staley fired 💔
• GM, Tom Telesco fired
• Complete roster overhaul
• Justin Herbert narrative changes pic.twitter.com/ST1kLGDnmO
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) September 22, 2023
Brandon Staley, in his 37th game as the Chargers’ head coach, has yet to demonstrate where he gives the team an edge. Staley’s defensive philosophy revolves around limiting explosive plays, but the Chargers have given up more completions of 30-plus yards than any other team since his arrival. Moreover, their defensive success rate currently ranks 26th in the league for the first two weeks of this season.
The initial excitement surrounding Staley’s aggressiveness has waned, as evidenced by his decision to punt on fourth-and-1 from the Titans’ 44-yard line in their recent loss. It seems like the Chargers are on track for yet another disappointing season, unless something unexpected happens.
The Vikings, also sitting at 0-2, displayed some resilience in their recent Thursday night game against Philadelphia but are hampered by limitations in offensive line talent and the secondary.
Kirk Cousins This SZN:
-72.7% Cmp (3rd in NFL)
-708 Passing Yards (2nd)
-6 TD Passes (T-1st)
-8.0 YPA (3rd)
-114.2 QB Rating (2nd)Week 3 the Vikings are playing (at home) against the Chargers who have the WORST pass defense in the NFL (666 yards allowed).
But…. Kirk does NOT… pic.twitter.com/zPrVA7FeGx
— Purple FTW! Podcast (@PurpleForTheWin) September 22, 2023
In this matchup, there’s little reason for optimism on either side, but the Chargers have shown consistency in moving the ball offensively through the first two weeks. The question remains whether they can find a way to salvage their season.
