By Alec Lewis, Daniel Popper, Alex Valdes
Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and the Los Angeles Chargers made life miserable for Carson Wentz in a 37-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night.
The Chargers sacked Wentz five times and intercepted him once. Wentz has been filling in for J.J. McCarthy, who injured his ankle in Week 2.
Ladd McConkey, Oronde Gadsden II and Tre’ Harris each caught touchdown passes for the Chargers. Kimani Vidal ran for 108 yards and a touchdown.
Back on track
This was a get-back-on-track game for the Chargers in many respects. Left tackle Joe Alt returned for his first game since Week 4. He stabilized the Chargers offensive line in pass protection and the run game. Justin Herbert was still hit eight times, but the Chargers were able to move the ball efficiently against the Vikings defense. They put up over 400 yards of offense, including a 100-yard rushing game from Vidal. Herbert threw three touchdowns. He also was effective as a scrambler, rushing for 62 yards.
The Chargers were very good situationally, finishing 9-for-12 on third down and 3-for-3 in the red zone. The Chargers were still starting Bobby Hart at right tackle, and right guard Mekhi Becton (knee) missed most of the game after leaving in the first half. But Alt made a big difference in keeping the Chargers on schedule offensively. — Daniel Popper, Chargers beat writer
Shades of ’24 Chargers defense
Defensively, the Chargers were suffocating. The Vikings were 2-of-9 on third down and had less than 140 yards of offense before garbage time in the fourth quarter. They pressured Wentz. They gave up just 18 rushing yards before garbage time. This looked like the Chargers defense from last season.
Like with the offense, reinforcements made a big difference for coordinator Jesse Minter’s unit. Edge rusher Khalil Mack returned in Week 7, but he was limited to just 12 snaps in a loss to the Colts. Thursday night, his role expanded, and Mack gave the Chargers a lift in their energy and physicality. Mack had a sack and a run stuff. — Popper
Another L.A. star injured
The Chargers put this defensive performance together after losing safety Derwin James Jr., who left the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury. He was in a walking boot on the sideline in the second half. Injuries have been an unavoidable storyline in this Chargers season. Now they have another star player in a walking boot. Starting cornerback Tarheeb Still also left in the second half with a knee injury. The Chargers desperately need this mini bye to try to get healthier. — Popper
Vikings looking worse
Never say it can’t get worse, they say. The cliche is difficult to imagine with the performance the Vikings put on. Both the offense and defense were dismal. The defensive issues were most jarring. Not only did quarterback Justin Herbert dominate in and out of the pocket, but the Chargers’ offensive line mowed the Vikings’ front over in the run game. At one point in the third quarter, the Vikings had run 24 plays, and the Chargers had tallied 20 first downs.
Almost every Chargers offensive play resulted in an explosive gain. Vidal was spinning his way out of arm tackles and climbing up to the second level. He finished with 117 yards on 23 carries. Herbert himself used his legs as a weapon throughout the night, garnering 62 yards on seven rushing attempts.
Minnesota entered this season planning for its defense to be the scaffolding of its team. The interior defensive tackle additions, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, have not produced at a requisite level. Quarterback performances over the last two weeks underscored the skepticism many had about the Vikings’ secondary. Throughout the night, Chargers pass catchers Keenan Allen, Oronde Gadsden II and McConkey feasted over the middle. Positives did not exist. How the Vikings are going to pick up the pieces against the Lions next week in Detroit is an entirely different conversation. — Alec Lewis, Vikings beat writer
Quarterbacking has been weak
As easy as it was to begin with the defense, the Vikings’ offense remained abysmal. Minnesota has not had good quarterback play. McCarthy, who is in line to return next week against the Lions, struggled in the first two games. Wentz replaced him, and the issues continued to be the same. He wasn’t accurate. He held the ball. He took too many sacks. By the end, he was getting hammered in the pocket, scrunching his face, and throwing his helmet on the sidelines.
His protection didn’t help. Right tackle Brian O’Neill didn’t play. He returned last weekend from a sprained MCL and said after the game his knee locked up multiple times. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw started but exited early, a theme throughout this season. The Vikings’ center was Blake Brandel, who began the season as the team’s third-string option at the position.
Perhaps the most telling aspect of the offensive dud was the fact the Chargers had been torched leading into the game. Specifically, the Chargers’ run defense ranked 30th in success rate; the Vikings ran the ball only nine times for 18 carries. As bad as it has been, the seeds of offensive inconsistency showed themselves in training camp. Coach Kevin O’Connell reiterated his belief in the unit, but the day-to-day problems were evident to anyone in attendance. — Lewis
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