EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings and Rams are on Prime in Week 8, and it just so happens that SoFi Stadium will become the eighth different venue to host a game in the series.

The teams have met 47 previous times in the regular season or playoffs, but the Vikings are seeking their first win over the Rams in Southern Cal since Nov. 29, 1992. Minnesota (5-1) has only visited Los Angeles (2-4) one time since the Rams returned to the West Coast.

That 2018 contest is the only Thursday game in NFL history with 800+ combined passing yards and 8+ passing touchdowns. It featured five players recording more than 100 receiving yards at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

Kickoff for this year's rematch is set for 7:15 p.m. (CT).

Vikings Uniform

Because the Rams are choosing to wear white jerseys, the Vikings will feature purple jerseys on white pants, a look usually sported in home games.

4 Storylines

1. Battle of the brains

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell and Sean McVay of the Rams won Super Bowl LVI together. Their great friendship is well documented, but there'll be nothing friendly about trying to outsmart the other.

O'Connell on Monday assured the importance of not getting swept up with the coaching competition – both are regarded as elite offensive play designers – and that on-field execution will be the difference.

Nevertheless, it's exciting that the first meeting between teams led by O'Connell and McVay is getting prime-time treatment. The Vikings have an objective edge in personnel, but the one-year younger McVay, entrenched in Year 8 at the helm of the Rams, has been at the helm far longer than O'Connell, who was hired by Minnesota in 2022.

"I'm not going to say they're the same guys, but they definitely have some similarities in offensive structure and play calls and things they're trying to get done," Vikings safety Harrison Smith said Tuesday.

"I'm with K.O., though," Smith added, smiling. "K.O.'s been pretty dialed in this whole year."

2. National audience

The Vikings are the best surprise of 2024 so far.

They were widely picked to finish last in the NFC North. Their quarterback was viewed as a bridge to the future, not a player capable of sparking MVP consideration like he's done. There were doubts even about the defense, particularly its cornerbacks after the tragic death of Khyree Jackson and Mekhi Blackmon's season-ending injury. Now there's an expanding bandwagon that believes Minnesota is made of the right stuff.

It's one of three NFL teams with one or fewer losses. Sam Darnold is in the top 10 in passing touchdowns (12), passer rating (104.0) and yards gained per attempt (8.4). The defense ranks first with 11 interceptions and second with 14 takeaways. It also has the third-most sacks (24) and 11 more pressures than anyone else (89). The Vikings trailed for 3:26 over the first five weeks and initially led the Lions by 10 last Sunday.

Thursday is the first of two consecutive Vikings games on national television thanks to their Week 9 matchup against Indianapolis getting flexed to Sunday Night Football. Good things are worth waiting for.

3. Balancing rest and readiness on short week

Massages become film sessions, and consumption of cookies and cereal are scaled back.

That's some of what it takes to play two NFL games less than 100 hours apart.

"My best thing is to get moving on Monday [and Tuesday] then relax Wednesday, the day before the game, and really just treat it like you're getting ready for Thursday practice," safety Camryn Bynum said. "Thursday practices are normally tough days anyways, so you just have to move your mindset to that."

It means sacrificing time usually allotted for practice and time with family, as well.

"First things first, Sunday night after the game, I let the wife know I won't be around much," defensive lineman Harrison Phillips said, explaining his routine. "There's not a lot of time. So even though on other weeks I might have a 90-minute or two-hour massage where I can kind of relax and meditate or pray, [Tuesday night] I'll be watching two hours of film during my massage just trying to double-up the time."

Phillips saves eating his unhealthiest meals – chocolate chip cookies for instance – for after games. But during a short week, there's less time to cram in cheat calories, and an emphasis on hydration and good fuel.

4. Justin Jefferson on brink of breakout

Since gaining the bulk of his lone 100-yard receiving game this season on a 97-yard catch-and-sprint touchdown in Week 2 against San Francisco, Vikings star wideout Justin Jefferson has topped out at 92 yards over his last four games. He's averaged 84.8 yards on 6.3 catches and 9.5 targets in that stretch.

A monster game could be on the doorstep for "Jets."

"It's right there. It's right there," Jefferson expressed confidently. "I'm definitely sick of having these 80-, 90-yard games. I've definitely got to get over that hump of 100 yards. That's definitely my plan. But if you see it on tape, the explosive plays are all over the field – not just me – just all over the field."

Slightly better execution as an offense should push Jefferson into a range he's accustomed to – he leads all players with 20 games of 125-plus yards since his debut season in 2020 (Miami's Tyreek Hill has 17).

Jefferson, for what it's worth, already has as many TD catches in six games in 2024 (5) as he produced in 10 last year. Also, he's received the fourth-highest share of his team's air yards (44.09%) per Next Gen Stats – granted, his receiving yards per game has dipped to its lowest (88.5) since his rookie year (87.5).

3 Things 'Bout the Rams

1. Cooper Kupp is back

Cooper Kupp, the MVP of Super Bowl LVI and veteran target of the Los Angeles passing game, hasn't played since suffering an ankle injury in Week 2, but he's expected to rejoin the Rams offense Thursday.

"Obviously, he's the highlight of their offense [when he's healthy]," safety Joshua Metellus said. "He's definitely somebody we're going to have to pay attention to. We know the case when he plays."

After Kupp won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2021 and O'Connell left his post as offensive coordinator in L.A. to become head coach of the Vikings, his new star receiver was curious.

Jefferson wanted to know the secrets that helped Kupp uncover so consistently. So, he asked, and O'Connell answered. The conversation, Jefferson remembered, was simple – and motivating.

"If you want to be one of the best receivers," he recalled, "you have to be dialed into everything."

The concepts; the intent of plays; the assignments of every position on the field; and Jefferson took the advice to heart. He walks the hallways at team headquarters talking shop, game planning with O'Connell.

"Ever since that day, I definitely [have been] dialed in," Jefferson stated. "I wanted to be on that same level. I wanted to be running wide open even if I'm getting doubled and tripled. So it's just all part of the system, all part of the process. I've just got to be mentally focused [and] of course physically prepared."

2. Banged up across the board

Los Angeles' Injured Reserve list is littered with contributors, including a handful of Week 1 starters on offense: left tackle Joseph Noteboom, left guard Steve Avila, center Jonah Jackson and wide receiver Puka Nacua. The Rams also are without veteran safety John Johnson III; tight end Tyler Higbee is recovering from an ACL tear in January, as well. Suffice it to say, L.A. has been nipped by the injury bug.

The losses have taken a tremendous toll on the Rams passing attack. Kupp and Nacua have accounted for 147 and 35 yards receiving. Tutu Atwell leads the group with 332. The club is tied with Miami's injury-stricken quarterbacks room for the fewest touchdown passes through seven weeks, with three.

3. Familiar foe in Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford has played the Vikings once since leaving Motown for Hollywood. In his 22^nd start against Minnesota, on Dec. 26, 2021, Stafford was intercepted three times but sustained a big enough lead – with help from a 61-yard punt return touchdown by Brandon Powell – to hang on for a 30-23 win.

Stafford is revered across the sport for his determination and ability to make any throw. His 2024 numbers are down because Los Angeles has been so thin at receiver, but his I.Q. and arm talent persist.

What's top of mind when Stafford's name is mentioned? Take it from Smith, who finally picked off the long-time Lion in his very last appearance against the Vikings as Detroit's quarterback (Jan. 3, 2021).

"I think toughness is the number one thing," Smith shared. "He's an all-time competitor and has the ability to do pretty much whatever he wants with the ball. He's gotten me on a no-look [pass] before. We've had games where we've hit him a bunch, and he's always picking himself up and moving on and making plays with his legs. He's just an all-around guy that I have a high level of admiration for, for sure."

2 Vikings to Track

Sam Darnold: The Southern California native and former USC Trojan will return to the Golden State with a shot at recording his sixth game of 2024 with a passer rating above 100, which would continue expanding on his previous single-season career high of four.

Justin Jefferson: The Vikings receiver and Kupp are two of four players with 100-plus receiving yards and a touchdown since 2020. If Jefferson hits the century mark, he will break Randy Moss' record of 30 such games in a player's first five seasons. Jefferson will enter the game needing just 4 receiving yards to pass Jake Reed (6,433) and move into the top 5 in franchise history.

1 Key Matchup

Vikings linebackers vs. Rams running back Kyren Williams

Last week, without starting "Mike" linebacker and green dot Blake Cashman, the Vikings tried to keep the Lions guessing by mixing up the personnel beside Ivan Pace, Jr., at inside linebacker. Safeties Joshua Metellus and Harrison Smith played 37 and 12 snaps in the box according to Pro Football Focus. Kamu Grugier-Hill logged nine, as did outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel; even OLB Dallas Turner had two snaps inside.

It wasn't as effective as planned. The middle of the field was laced into by Detroit quarterback Jared Goff, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs got loose, averaging 8.42 yards per touch with touchdown runs of 45 and 8 yards. Gibbs isn't the biggest or strongest, but he hits the hole in a blink and makes defenders miss.

That gives the Rams hope for its backfield against the Vikings, who again will be without Cashman.

Kyren Williams is a runner similarly capable of devastating defenses on the ground and through the air. The Rams ball carrier is tied for the NFL lead with eight rushing touchdowns and is averaging the most rushes per game (19.3) among players who've appeared in at least four. He's also averaging 2.3 catches.

"I'm most impressed about how sometimes it will look like the edge is set and he's still able to give ground and get the edge on teams," Phillips said. "Also, his cutback and vision have been very impressive."

According to Next Gen Stats, Williams has the second-lowest average time behind the line of scrimmage (2.55 seconds) on rushing plays, which indicates he's explosive and likes to get north-south in a hurry.

Williams had 100-plus scrimmage yards in Weeks 3-5 and served a pair of touchdown runs in Week 7 when the Rams came off their bye. He's responsible for 14 TDs in nine games dating to Dec. 17, 2023.

Memorable Week 8 Quotes

Camryn Bynum on learning from a tough loss

"It's really a blessing in disguise because when you win you think you're on top of the world and you may look past certain small things, but when you lose, now your human nature is like, 'Let me look at every single small part of this loss that we had, and how can I fix it?' "

Joshua Metellus on forcing turnovers

"Just like when you practice Cover 2, you practice Cover 3, we practice turnovers on a daily basis. When you practice something, when you get good at something, it's definitely sustainable — it's all about just having that mindset."

Aaron Jones, Sr., on Cam Akers overcoming two Achilles injuries

"It says a lot, and I think the biggest thing it says about him, he has it tattooed on his back: resilient. You see nothing's gonna stop him. He comes in here happy every day; even my first time meeting him. I mean, I've met him after games quickly – quick interactions – but really getting to meet him, talk to him, he's a joy to have here. I'm happy I get to pick his brain as well. So me, him, and Ty [Chandler], Myles [Gaskin] are all picking each other's brains and seeing how we can get better."

Harrison Phillips on the team's mindset

"I'm sure two months ago if you asked people in this locker room, 'Would you be OK with a 5-1 start?' they would say, 'Yeah,' but the disappointment and the frustration and the 'want-ingness' to learn and the 'want-ingness' to move forward shows how mature of a team we have and how hungry of a team we have because we know what we can accomplish."

Sam Darnold on returning to Southern California roots

"Whenever I land in LAX, it's always fun to be able to go home, but in the same breath, you know, just going there on a business trip, especially on a short week. ... But it will be nice to see some family members and [friends] before and after the game that I haven't seen in quite some time."

From the Inbox

Lions are in the past. It is clear that the Vikings are one of the top teams in the NFL. So let's move on, correct those pre-snap penalties on offense and get Cashman back to align our defensive formations quicker. IF [T.J.] Hockenson & [Dalton] Risner are healthy, let's add another star (& more depth) to our offense. Great Job Vikings! Now let's quickly move on (mentally & physically) to the Rams game. We have LOTS of victories ahead of us.

— Dan Poepard

The offensive penalties were probably the most disappointing aspect when the Vikings evaluated Sunday's game because they were self-inflicted and occurred in a game with a very small margin of error. Important games against good teams are like that. Ideally, the experience ratchets up the focus that much tighter.

Hockenson and Risner were listed as questionable on Wednesday's final injury report of Week 8. Either or both is eligible to be activated Thursday, but the Vikings would have to make changes to their 53-man roster. The team also has until Thursday to make decisions on elevations from the practice squad.

A quick turnaround mentally and physically will be necessary in not letting one loss turn into two.

We traded up to draft [Dallas] Turner in the first round. He was touted as an explosive edge rusher. He's rarely around the QB in any game. Can you shed some light on what's going on with him?

Thanks,

— Terry in Glendale, Arizona

After logging 35 defensive snaps in Week 1 when he recorded his first career sack, Turner has played 17 against San Francisco and missed Week 3 against Houston because of in injury. Since coming back from that, he has played 10 at Green Bay, 13 against the New York Jets and four this past Sunday.

Turner came up with a nice tackle for no gain on a fourth-and-2 run by the Jets in London.

While his defensive snaps have decreased, his role on special teams has increased, going from 12 and 13 snaps in the first two weeks to 18 in Week 4 and Week 5. In Week 7, he played 20. Special teams is new to Turner.

I think there's a development process for every player, regardless of position and where he is picked, but I also think a good bit has been about how well Jonathan Greenard, Van Ginkel and Pat Jones II have played.