The LA Chargers and Minnesota Vikings square off in Week 3 in two very similar situations. Both teams have started 0-2 despite high expectations and both teams lost both of their games by one score.
Minnesota and LA both have explosive offenses that can almost score at will but they also have bad defenses that have held the team back. Historically, both the Chargers and Vikings have invented new ways to lose football games as well. It really is like the two teams are looking in the mirror at each other.
When the dust settles in Week 3 these two teams may not look as similar. One team will be 1-2 with promise and the other team will be 0-3 in what feels like a lost season. The winner will look to build momentum while the loser may already start to hit the reset button after just three weeks of the season.
That is what future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski thinks, at least. In an appearance on 'Up & Adams', Gronk laid out his prediction for what will happen to the loser of this game and how it will impact the rest of the season.
"If the Chargers lose this week, Brandon Staley will get fired"
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) September 20, 2023
"If the Vikings lose... Kirk Cousins will be shipped out"
BIG predictions from @RobGronkowski today
@heykayadams pic.twitter.com/gQkEBmOMoK
Rob Gronkowski predicts that the Chargers-Vikings outcome will cost either Brandon Staley or Kirk Cousins their job.
It may seem like a bold prediction, but Gronk may have hit the nail on the head here. This game is so important for both sides as truly is the first loser-leaves-town match of the 2023 season. The NFL is simply too competitive for either of these teams to claw back from an 0-3 deficit.
For the Chargers that could mean moving on from Staley, who has lost four games in a row as the head coach and infamously was piloting the ship when it crashed and burned in the AFC Wild Card Round last season.
As for Cousins, moving on from him could be best for all parties involved. The Vikings could commit to the tank and get an early look at the quarterback of the future (perhaps Caleb Williams if things really go sideways as the year goes along). Meanwhile, Kirk could potentially be traded to a contender that needs a quarterback (New York Jets, perhaps?) and get a chance to win a ring.
Either way, both moves would be waiving the white flag. It would be unprecedented for the Chargers to overcome a 0-3 deficit and make the playoffs. And we all know that Minnesota wouldn't be able to claw back from a 0-3 start with Nick Mullen under center.