Minnesota Vikings: 5 reasons Chargers will be tough to beat
By Dan Zinski
Sep 20, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; San Diego Chargers wide receiver Malcom Floyd (80) and wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) celebrate during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati defeated San Diego 24-19. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
2. They have an array of receivers
The Vikings faced a punishing running attack week 1 and got their butts handed to them. Week 2 they were able to control the Lions who failed to establish a running game at all and also failed to push the ball down the field to Calvin Johnson.
Week 3, the Vikings will face a well-rounded Chargers team that can come at you with a bunch of different weapons.
The Chargers’ receiver corps is led by Keenan Allen, a technically-skilled wide-out with great hands. Allen may not be the fastest guy in the world but he runs precise routes and knows how to get open.
Philip Rivers is not afraid to target Allen over-and-over as he proved week 1 when he threw at his favorite receiver 17 times on the way to putting up over 400 yards on Detroit.
The Chargers’ main deep receiver is Malcom Floyd. He hasn’t been targeted much so far this year as the Chargers have mainly gone to a dink-and-dunk attack but the home run threat is always there with him.
The one player who’s really making a difference this year for San Diego is Stevie Johnson. The former Buffalo Bills slot receiver was picked up as a free agent and he’s become a weapon for Rivers, catching 11 passes in two games for 127 yards and 2 TDs.
Captain Munnerlyn did a good job blanketing Golden Tate last week and he will likely be the guy covering Johnson most of the time on Sunday. Unlike Tate, Johnson is a bigger receiver who could give tiny Munnerlyn a little trouble.