Herbert, Vidal lead Chargers in commanding win over Vikings

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 37-10 Thursday night at SoFi Stadium.

Four days ago, the Chargers played their worst game of the season. They were embarrassed and beaten by the Indianapolis Colts in a 38-24 loss at home.

“We looked like crap,” a dejected Derwin James Jr. said after that game.

Even before then, the Chargers seemed out of sync. They had lost three of their last four games, and their only victory, a 29-27 victory over the lifeless, 1-6 Miami Dolphins, didn’t sit well with the team.

“We were supposed to blow them up,” a frustrated James said then.

Ultimately, the Chargers were nothing like the team that started the season 3-0 by sweeping the AFC West.

But the paradigm shifted significantly on Thursday. The Chargers played one of their best games of the season against Minnesota.

In their first full game with tackle Joe Alt since Week 3, the Chargers did what they wanted on offense, and their defense shut down the Vikings to avoid their second two-loss skid this season.

It was a well-deserved victory for a Chargers team spiraling toward irrelevance. This victory gives them a chance to reclaim first place in the AFC West if the Denver Broncos lose on Sunday.

Trend to watch: Justin Herbert’s interceptions.

Herbert’s ability to make throws that few other NFL quarterbacks can duplicate is what makes him great, but this season he’s also put the ball in danger. He threw his seventh interception of the year on Thursday. Herbert was backed up against the Chargers’ goal line, rolling to his left, and attempted to hit a smothered Ladd McConkey with a pass that was tipped and intercepted. The Vikings scored their first touchdown on the next drive. In this game where the Chargers dominated, it was a meaningless turnover, but Herbert’s poor decision-making in recent weeks could hurt the Chargers if it continues.

Most surprising performance: Kimani Vidal.

The Chargers’ 2024 sixth-round pick, who was released after the team cut the roster to 53 players, rushed for 117 yards on 23 carries and scored his first career rushing touchdown.

Vidal also had a standout performance against the Dolphins in Week 5, with 124 rushing yards against the league’s worst run defense, but until Thursday, that game seemed like an anomaly. By smashing a defense that limited Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles to just 44 yards and 2.4 rushing yards per carry last week, Vidal showed he could be a consistent impact player.

Stat to know: Oronde Gadsden II is the first rookie tight end since Mike Ditka in 1961 with 240 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in two games.

Gadsden, who finished with five catches for 77 yards and a touchdown, became one of Herbert’s favorite targets and one of the Chargers’ best tight ends in recent memory. A fifth-round rookie, Gadsden had the most receiving yards by a Chargers tight end since Antonio Gates in 2009 in last week’s game, when he finished with seven catches for 164 yards and a score. He appears to be headed toward a significant role in the passing attack this season.

Next game: at Tennessee Titans (1 p.m. ET, November 2)

There is no sugar. The Vikings played one of their worst games in four years of the Kevin O’Connell era on Thursday night, and it left them at a crossroads in a rapidly deteriorating season.

It was the second-worst loss of the O’Connell era in terms of point differential. The worst was a 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in 2022.

The Vikings are now 3-4 and sitting squarely in last place in the NFC North with the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL. The Chargers, losers in three of their previous four games, dominated them in every phase. The Vikings are ravaged by injuries, which continued to pile up Thursday as tight end Josh Oliver (foot) and cornerback Jeff Okudah (concussion) were added to the roster, and the team now faces a massive competitive decision.

Will the Vikings consider quarterback JJ McCarthy (ankle) ready to return for their next game, Nov. 2 against the Detroit Lions? And if so, will they stick with him regardless of how he plays, knowing their playoff hopes are on the line?

The Vikings have committed to a payroll of more than $350 million this season, hoping to be able to compete for a deep playoff run while developing McCarthy in real time. This doesn’t look good for the former, and maybe it’s time to look into the latter.

Most surprising performance: The Chargers gashed the Vikings defense in every way imaginable. Some opponents have managed to rack up yards against them this season, but before Thursday night, the Vikings had managed to keep the scoring down.

They entered the game tied for 10th in the NFL with an average of 20 offensive points allowed per game. But they had no answer Thursday for Justin Herbert, who broke through their blitzes to rush for 62 yards and throw three touchdowns. The Chargers encountered little resistance as they amassed a total of 419 yards and 29 first downs.

What to think of Wentz’s performance: In what might have been his last start for a while, Carson Wentz was clearly in pain throughout the game – largely due to a left shoulder injury suffered on October 5 that still requires a harness. He also appeared to slam his throwing hand into the helmet of Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack in the first half.

It’s admirable that Wentz continued to qualify, but it was hard to watch at times. Rookie Max Brosmer would have been next, and the Vikings probably didn’t want to expose him to the mess Wentz was experiencing.

Trend to watch: The Vikings played almost the entire game without their starting tackles, Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, even though both had played every snap in Week 7.

O’Neill (right knee) was inactive and Darrisaw (left knee) left after nine snaps and did not return. That left the Vikings going most of the way with backup Justin Skule at left tackle and third-string tackle Walter Rouse on the right side. This was not a recipe for creating running lanes or protecting the quarterback, and it showed. The Vikings finished with 34 rushing yards and had five sacks.

Next game: at the Detroit Lions (1 p.m. ET, November 2)