Justin Herbert and Chargers dominate in victory over Vikings

For the first time this season, the offense topped 30 points.

The defense went from shaky to merciless.

What about special teams? Chargers scored three field goals in his 37-10 rout Minnesota on Thursday night, but that's what they are didn't making it the loudest.

For the first time in four years, the Chargers did not punt.

What a turnaround for a team that had disgraced itself at home four days earlier.

“They just decided they wouldn’t be denied,” he said. Chargers coach Jim Harbaughwhose team came out of a tailspin in dramatic fashion after losing three of its previous four games.

The straight-line win was a welcome redemption for a Chargers defense that was reeling after a 38-24 loss to Indianapolis on Sunday.

On Thursday night, in front of a national audience, Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz drowned in a sea of ​​navy-clad defenders, the Chargers sacked him five times, rarely allowing him space in the pocket, and finally inspired him to throw his helmet on the Minnesota sideline in frustration.

“We just asked the guys to stay fresh, move forward and just make good decisions,” linebacker Troy Dye said. “It's easy when you can give up seven or eight guys and only have to bring four. It's a fun time to play like that.”

The Chargers turned a defensive gem without the services of an All-Pro safety. Derwin James Jr.the team's best player this season, who left in the second quarter with an ankle injury. His backup, Tony Jefferson, also suffered with a hamstring injury. As a result, those duties were left to rookie safety RJ Mickens, who intercepted the ball early in the fourth quarter.

The Vikings converted just three of 11 third downs. Chargers defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe had two sacks and Call Tuiplut, Khalil Mak And Odafe Owe contributed one each.

Mickens was one of several Chargers prospects to make an impact, including at running back. Kimani Vidalreleased from the practice squad in Week 6, rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown.

207 yards rushing – 62 to quarterback Justin Herbert — were the most for the Chargers since Week 2 of the Harbaugh era last season. This is simply the type of dominance that a coach who is so fascinated with creating a ground attack embraces. And Herbert had 25 pass attempts, half as many (55) in loss to the Colts.

The decisive win pushes the Chargers into a mini-bye on a high note, washing away some of the bitterness from the past month. Their next game is Nov. 2 at the Tennessee Titans, where they have one win. This means the Chargers will have more time to recover, which is vital to rebuilding a team that has suffered so much.

Herbert threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns. He got off to a terrible start, however, with an apparent interception on the second snap. He threw a short pass to the left that fell into the hands of cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who rose to his feet and returned the ball for an 18-yard touchdown.

However, the game was voided when replays showed the soccer ball touched the turf and moved when it hit the ground.

After surviving that scare, the Chargers took advantage of their new life with a 14-play touchdown drive, capped by an eight-yard touchdown reception by the rookie tight end. Oronda Gadsden II.

“Great people are judged by what they do.” after something’s not right,” Harbaugh said of Herbert’s response. “Once the interception happens—that's the worst thing that can really happen to you as a quarterback—then plan what they're going to do on the next drive.”

The coach said the mistake would “shock” many defenders, but not Herbert.

“Playing this position, I know what it’s like,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, it's like your brain, it's on fire. It's like the sirens and whistles and bells. And to be able to do '3, 2, 1, let it go' and then come back and score. It's another option that's meant for the best of the best.”

Herbert has been under pressure and hit more than any NFL quarterback this season, but he got much better protection Thursday night, thanks in large part to the return of left tackle Joe Alt.

The Chargers led 21-3 in the first two quarters, a modified version of what happened against the Colts when they found themselves in a 23-3 hole at halftime.

This time, the Chargers had 29 first downs to the Vikings' 12.

The defensive play was much closer to what the Chargers would have produced last season, when they led the AFC by allowing just 18.5 points per game. In the three games leading up to Thursday, they averaged 30.6 points.

If the Chargers have proven anything, it's that they are more than just scorers. They are also rebounders.