The Chargers went into their long weekend break with a 37-10 bounce-back victory Thursday night over the Minnesota Vikings at SoFi Stadium that represented their most complete game of the season. They weren’t flawless, but they were much improved in all areas.
Here’s what we learned, what we heard and what comes next after they rebounded smartly and certainly from Sunday’s 38-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, a game that revealed the vast differences between an elite team in the NFL and one that’s trying to rise to that level.
HERBERT … AGAIN
The Chargers’ first play from scrimmage Thursday was a 3-yard loss on a run by Kimani Vidal. The second play, quarterback Justin Herbert’s pass intended for wide receiver Ladd McConkey, was intercepted and returned for a 17-yard touchdown by Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.
Uh-oh.
Except the Chargers got a reprieve.
A video review indicated Rodgers trapped the ball. Incomplete pass.
Herbert then connected on a 3rd-and-13 play with wide receiver Keenan Allen for a 17-yard gain, and the Chargers were off and rolling their way to a lopsided victory in which they did not punt, had only one turnover and outgained the Vikings by an astounding total of 419 yards to only 164.
“Stellar,” was how Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh described Herbert, who completed 18 of 25 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, the one unwise pass he tried for force after a scramble to his right that was picked off by Joshua Metellus.
Harbaugh marveled at Herbert’s ability to put near interceptions and actual ones in the past. Herbert seemed unfazed by each play, recovering to throw the first of his three touchdown passes to cap the first possession and lead a touchdown drive after throwing his third-quarter interception.
“That near interception, that shakes a lot of guys, not Justin Herbert, not the great ones,” Harbaugh said. “To go back right down the field after that near interception and (lead a) touchdown drive, after the interception, he puts together another touchdown drive, it’s incredible.
“Having played the position, I know what that’s like. It’s like your brain is just searing. It’s like sirens and whistles and bells going off, and to be able to go, ‘Three, two, one, let it go,’ and then come back and have a scoring drive, that’s another one that’s reserved for the best of the best.”
Herbert has completed 67.9% of his passes for an NFL-leading 2,140 yards through eight games.
VITAL VIDAL
The Chargers’ plans for a rejuvenated ground game seemed to have ground to a halt with injuries to Najee Harris (Achilles tendon tear in Week 3) and rookie Omarion Hampton (sprained ankle in Week 5). Enter third-string running back Vidal, who has stepped up to fill the void.
Harris is done for the season and Hampton is on injured reserve. Plus, a third running back, Hassan Haskins, was sidelined Thursday by a hamstring injury.
Vidal rushed for 117 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries against the Vikings, his third consecutive start in place of Hampton and his second game in which he topped 100 yards. Vidal set a career high with 124 yards on 18 carries during a 29-27 victory Oct. 12 over the Miami Dolphins.
“We’re really lucky to have him,” Herbert said of Vidal, a sixth-round draft pick in 2024. “To lose two backs like that, that are as good as it gets, it’s tough to replace them. I think Kimani has done such a good job of stepping up and making plays. The past couple of weeks, he’s done an awesome job.”
WHAT COMES NEXT
The Chargers (5-3) have four days to rest and regroup before returning to the practice field Tuesday to prepare to face the Tennessee Titans (1-6 going into Sunday’s game against the 6-1 Colts) on Nov. 2. The Chargers also were 5-3 last season before facing the Titans, and winning 27-17.
Key players returning from injuries, including left tackle Joe Alt (ankle) and outside linebacker Khalil Mack (elbow), will gain extra time to mend this weekend. Alt played 67 of 73 snaps in his return from a three-game layoff. Mack played 28 of 49 snaps in his second game back from injured reserve.