Fresh off of a 20-15 win over the Raiders at SoFi Stadium in Week 7, the Rams are quickly turning the page to Week 8 with the Vikings coming to town for Thursday Night Football. Kickoff in Inglewood on Thursday is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. pacific time on Amazon Prime Video.
In advance of the contest, here is your First Look at Rams-Vikings:
Notable Vikings additions
- Acquired RB Cam Akers in a trade with the Texans on Oct. 15: A familiar name to Rams fans, Akers was acquired as the Vikings returned from their Week 6 bye while star running back Aaron Jones dealt with a hamstring injury. Ultimately, the bye and days leading into Sunday's Week 7 game against Lions provided enough time for Jones to heal and alleviate concerns about his short-term status, but the arrival of Akers added much-needed depth.
- Signed OLB Andrew Van Ginkel to a 2-year deal on March 13: The former Dolphins linebacker has been a perfect fit for defensive coordinator Brian Flores' system, amassing 26 total tackles, 5 sacks, 7 QB hits, two pick-sixes and one forced fumble through six games.
Top performers in Week 7
QB Sam Darnold completed 22 of 27 pass attempts for 259 yards with 1 touchdown against 1 interception in the Vikings' 31-29 home loss to the Lions.
Jones helmed Minnesota's backfield with team-highs of 14 carries for 93 yards and 1 touchdown.
WR Justin Jefferson led all Vikings receivers with 7 receptions for 81 yards and 1 touchdown.
Van Ginkel paced Minnesota's defense with 7 total tackles and 2 sacks.
On special teams, K Will Reichard made all three of his field goal attempts and both of his extra point attempts, while P Ryan Wright averaged 48.3 yards per punt across 3 punts.
Early storylines to watch, and what they mean for the Rams
Up until some of the answers the Lions had in Week 7, opposing offenses seemingly had none for the Flores-led defense whose pressure looks and coverage concepts have been the talk of the league so far this season.
That's not to say Detroit's performance will make game planning for Minnesota's defense any easier – the Vikings have allowed just four 30-point performances by opposing offenses in 23 games Flores has been their defensive coordinator; the Lions are responsible for three of them.
Still, if there were ever a week to be grateful for having a quarterback with more than 15 seasons' worth of inventory on opposing defenses, and a strong ability to diagnose pre-and-post snap pictures, it would be this one.
