Carson Wentz Issues Clear Words After Vikings Fall to Chargers
It was a rough night on October 23 for the Minnesota Vikings, who were handed a 37-10 loss by the Los Angeles Chargers on “Thursday Night Football” at SoFi Stadium.
There wasn’t much to take away for Minnesota in this one, as the team will need to assess what went wrong and quickly move on from the blowout. Once sitting at 3-2 in the 2025 NFL season, the Vikings have dropped two straight to fall to 3-4.
Despite falling below .500, veteran Carson Wentz is confident the group will bounce back heading into their Week 9 game against NFC North rival the Detroit Lions.
“I just know the guys in that locker room,”
“I have a lot of confidence in the guys. Hopefully we can keep getting some guys back healthy, all that stuff. This was a short week. This was a tough one. We just didn’t have it tonight. The NFL is weird. It’s hard to win, hard to be consistent. So at the end of the day, just turn the page and go attack it next week.”
Will the Minnesota Bounce Back After Loss to Chargers?
Minnesota get a few extra days to get ready for the Lions. It won’t be an easy matchup, but Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, much like Wentz, believes in the group’s ability to respond and
“I believe in our players, wholeheartedly,” O’Connell said (h/t Pro Football Talk).. “I believe in every opportunity we have, we’re gonna go out there and put our best foot forward, both on the practice field and every opportunity we have as a team; I think we’ll be able to get, you know, healthy in some spots here that, you know, are critical for our ability to have success.
“But once again, injuries and any other excuse if you go looking for them you’ll find them. We will not be doing that. We’re going to meet this head on as an organization. And that’s what we’re gonna do.”
Vikings Will Need to Learn From Poor Performance
There are a lot of aspects of the Vikings’ game that they will need to improve on heading into Week 9. O’Connell was straightforward about the outcome, admitting the Chargers outperformed his team in every area.
“We got outplayed,” O’Connell added. “We got outcoached; we did not — there are no excuses. Injuries, short week, whatever it is, that is not in any way, shape, or form our standard of what we want to put on the field, and we’ve got — as I told our team — we’ve got an opportunity in front of us where we need to own this.
“This is not a bury the tape kind of time for our organization. This is a ‘watch it, view it, own it’. Every coach, every player. And it starts with me. I did not have our team prepared to play.”
Serena Williams backs Carlos Alcaraz to chase Novak Djokovic's record
Serena Williams lit up Oviedo with her golden presence at the Princess of Asturias Awards. One of the greatest players of all time was greeted by the sound of bagpipes and the warmth of the Spanish crowd.
Serena danced upon arrival and embraced the festive spirit before heading to a press conference. The American turned her attention to another star of our sport - Carlos Alcaraz.
Having followed the young gun's career closely, Williams expressed deep admiration for the 22-year-old Spaniard's achievements and mindset. She also made bold prediction and backed him to chase ultimate tennis glory!
Serena highlighted Carlos' remarkable potential and reminded that tennis barriers that once seemed impossible to break continue to fall. For the legend, Alcaraz embodies that same drive of greatness that once pushed Federer, Nadal and Djokovic to redefine the sport's limits.
Carlos' youth, resilience and the fierce competition around him can fuel an era of extraordinary success. Per Williams, only sky is the limit for the El Palmar native.
Serena backed the youngster to chase Novak Djokovic's record of 24 Major trophies. It has been so far so good for the Spaniard, who stands as the second-youngest player with six Major crowns after Bjorn Borg.
Alcaraz's next goal? The Career Grand Slam at 22 at the upcoming Australian Open! Williams is one of the game's ultimate champions, and her words carry the weight of experience.
There's also a genuine enthusiasm for a player poised to shape tennis history in the upcoming years. In Oviedo, Serena celebrated her legacy and the game's future, forging a golden collection between two eras of champions.
"Carlos is doing incredible things; I'm a huge fan of him. I always call him when he plays, to cheer him on. Can he equal or surpass Novak's 24 Major titles. At this point, anything is possible.
When Roger started, no one thought he could surpass Pete Sampras, and he did. Then Rafa did the same, and then Novak. Carlos is very young, he has great rivals, but of course it's possible.
Records are there to be broken," Serena Williams said.
