INGLEWOOD — Kimani Vidal smiled ever so slightly when a reporter told him Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh thought of him as a No. 1 running back, and not just on his team but on any team in the NFL. If it was something Vidal didn’t believe himself, then he wasn’t about to reveal it Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Still, it was nice to hear his coach’s praise.
“I’ve always felt very confident,” Vidal said.
It might not have been easy, though, since he was at the bottom of the Chargers’ depth chart to start the season Sept. 5. He wasn’t exactly an afterthought as rookie Omarion Hampton seized the featured back spot ahead of Najee Harris, Hassan Haskins and Vidal, but it was close.
Then the three backs ahead of Vidal were injured and, suddenly, he was No. 1.
Vidal responded by making the most of his chance to play, and he did it again Sunday during the Chargers’ 31-14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. He rushed for a career-high 126 yards with one touchdown on 25 carries, topping his previous best of 124 yards in a victory Oct. 12 over the Miami Dolphins.
It was his third game with 100 yards or more since assuming the starter’s role in their victory over the Dolphins. Not bad for a guy who began the season on the practice squad and then bounced back and forth from the practice squad to the active roster before finally getting his chance.
Vidal has been on the active roster since Oct. 8, and there doesn’t seem to be any reason to move him off of it, although Hampton is likely to be activated from injured reserve because of a fractured left ankle this week. Hampton was injured in the Chargers’ loss Oct. 5 to the Washington Commanders.
“I knew the kind of person I am, I knew the type of back I am and I just would say I knew there was an opportunity I could still get by playing for another team, whether it was here or somewhere else,” Vidal said. “So, I just used that time (early in the season) to my advantage to improve.”
HERBERT VS. CROSBY
Justin Herbert’s displays of emotion are few and far between, but when he completed a pass to wide receiver Quentin Johnston for a 10-yard gain and a first down at the Raiders’ 41-yard line in the fourth quarter, he let out a scream that caught the attention of Las Vegas defensive end Maxx Crosby.
Crosby, walking just ahead of Herbert, turned and shoved the quarterback to the turf, drawing the ire of the Chargers’ sideline and a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. The penalty propelled the Chargers to a late touchdown, a 2-yard run by backup running back Jaret Patterson.
“I think it was just an emotional game,” Herbert would later say of their confrontation. “I was excited for the third down (conversion) and he (Crosby) had been getting after us all day and so I think it’s just one of those plays where emotions got the best of us. I’ve got a ton of respect for him as a player.”
Crosby sacked Herbert twice, giving him eight this season.
Herbert and Crosby shook hands after the game. Herbert called Crosby “a true competitor.”
O-LINE SHUFFLE
Jamaree Salyer became the third replacement at left tackle after Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt suffered season-ending injuries. Herbert said having Salyer replace Trevor Penning, who had replaced Austin Deculus “made a difference” Sunday and having him start as his blind-side protector was “awesome.”
Slater, who was a sideline visitor Sunday, said after the game that his rehabilitation was ahead of schedule from a knee injury suffered during a seemingly routine drill during a training camp session Aug. 7. Alt said last week he underwent successful surgery on his injured right ankle.