Minnesota Vikings (4-7) at Seattle Seahawks (8-3)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Seahawks -11.5, Total 41.5
Series Rewind: Eleven months ago Sam Darnold came up clutch for the Vikings and beat Seattle 27-24, answering a Seahawks touchdown with a 30-second TD drive by finding Justin Jefferson for a 39-yard strike that proved to be the game winner.
Wanderlust might only be the fault of the Minnesota brass this week with the Vikings headed to Seattle to see what they’re missing in Darnold. The Vikings who also set free Daniel Jones into the market in March — he’s 8-3 with the Colts — are trudging forward with the developmental plan at the position centered on J.J. McCarthy growing rapidly. But he’s been hurt — and spent the week in concussion protocol — leaving the Vikings in an unsolicited get-to-know moment with undrafted rookie Max Brosmer. Brosmer’s likely starting debut comes in a tough environment, even if Seattle has been well shy of perfect at home. Darnold’s 69.5 completion percentage is top five in the league, just ahead of Jones. McCarthy is last (54.1%) among quarterbacks with multiple starts. Seattle’s offense relies on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who caught two TD passes at Tennessee last week. He leads the NFL in receiving yards with 1,313 and already has eclipsed the franchise record. With six games remaining, he could become the NFL’s first 2,000-yard receiver.
Las Vegas Raiders (2-9) at Los Angeles Chargers (7-4)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Chargers -9.5, Total 40.5
Series Rewind: The Chargers swept the season series last year for the first time since 2018. They’ve won three straight against the Raiders to trim their deficit in the all-time series to 69-61-2.
Los Angeles has had two weeks to dwell on its worst loss of Jim Harbaugh’s tenure, a 35-6 loss at Jacksonville. It hopes to find a bit more continuity against the Raiders after Justin Herbert had a career-low 81 yards passing, was sacked twice and was checked for a concussion late in the first half in the last game. Herbert has been sacked 35 times, fourth most in the NFL. A Raiders defense which ranks 27th in the league with 20 sacks this season — despite having a standout pass-rusher in Maxx Crosby — may be a get-right opportunity for the Chargers. Los Angeles opened the practice window for rookie RB Omarion Hampton (ankle) this week, and he was limited Wednesday and Thursday in practice. Las Vegas has its own offensive issues, so much so that Pete Carroll fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly last Sunday after the team scored just 10 points in its fifth straight loss against Cleveland. Its offense is third worst in the NFL with 268.9 yards per game, next to last with 79.5 yards rushing and tied for worst at 15.0 points per game. Quarterback Geno Smith has Herbert beat, having been sacked 41 times this season, including 10 last week. Crosby (knee) returned to full practice participation Thursday after he was limited Wednesday. Tight end Michael Mayer (ankle) has not practiced this week after sustaining an injury in last week’s game.
New
Buffalo Bills (7-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bills -3.5, Total 46.5
Series Rewind: After Pittsburgh dominated from 1993 through 2016 — winning 10 of 11 meetings, including playoffs — the Bills turned the tables during the Josh Allen era. Buffalo has won four of the past five, most recently 31-17 in the wild-card round in January 2024.
This game carries significant implications for both teams as they try to boost their AFC playoff hopes. Some players might deflect the importance of the matchup, but Josh Allen leaned in, saying his Bills are operating with an “extremely high sense of urgency” after their 23-19 loss against the Houston Texans last week. The reigning NFL MVP has completed 69.7 percent of his passes for 2,709 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 11 starts. He’s also dealing with a right elbow injury but has been a full participant at practice. Speaking of quarterback injuries, Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers sat out last week’s 31-28 loss to the Chicago Bears with an injury to his non-throwing wrist. He was considered a full participant in Thursday’s practice. If he can’t go, Mason Rudolph would draw a second straight start. Jaylen Warren leads the Steelers with 604 rushing yards, and DK Metcalf is tops in the passing game with 573 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 42 catches. The Bills have continued to operate a terrific ground game, with James Cook ranking second in the league at 1,084 rushing yards. They may also give Brandin Cooks his debut after signing the free agent receiver this week.