Vikings - Chargers

The Minnesota Vikings found a way to give away another winnable game. This time to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Minnesota Vikings 24

Los Angeles Chargers 28

The loss drops the Vikings record to 0-3. They must get out of their own way. 

The Vikings lost four regular season games last season. They are already up to three losses this season. 

Turnovers.

Through the first two games, the Vikings had given the ball away seven times. That couldn’t continue against the Chargers. It did. The Vikings crisply moved down the field on their first possession. They did so with the run. That was a bit of a surprise as they could do nothing on the ground through the first two games. On a third-and-8 from the Chargers 26-yard line, Kirk Cousins hit T.J. Hockenson for nine yards. Great! No, Chargers safety Alohi Gilman wrestled the ball away from Hockenson. A promising first possession against the Chargers ended the same way several promising possessions ended against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles. With a turnover. They’re a game-wrecker. There’s never a good time or place for a turnover but the majority of the Vikings nine turnovers, through three games, have been within reach of their opponents end zone. And it isn’t as if the opponents are forcing these turnovers with great plays or big hits. The Vikings are gifting them. They’ve been so damn generous. 

The Run Game.

Through the first two games, the Vikings run game had been anemic. They opened against the Chargers with five Alexander Mattison runs. That moved the ball from their own 43 to the Chargers 26. It was good to see. For the game, the Vikings gained 130 yards on 24 carries, 5.4 yards/attempt. Mattison gained 93 on 20 carries. Ty Chandler gained 27 yards on 3 carries. The Vikings entered the game with zero runs of more than 10 yards. They had several against the Chargers. If it weren’t for the first two games, 130 rushing yards would simply be a nice performance. Instead, this was a revelation. It would’ve been even better if it wasn’t for another fumble. Mattison put the ball on the ground. He was saved from a second fumble by a quick whistle. Ball security!?! It’s sure been a problem. 

Lucky, fluky, or football?

When a team can’t get out of their own way or something is just a bit off, the ball just seems to find its way into the hands of the other team. On what turned out to be the Chargers winning score, Justin Herbert heaved the ball in the direction of Josh Palmer. Vikings corner Akayleb Evans had the ball in his hands for an interception. Turnover! Nope. The ball slips through his hands, bounces off his helmet and falls into the hands of Palmer. He steps into the end zone for a lucky, fluky touchdown. The Chargers regained the lead, 28-24, with 8:05 to play. At the end, the Vikings had an ideal opportunity to escape with a win. 12 seconds remain. First-and-goal from the six. Two plays? Only need one. Kirk Cousins drills the ball to T.J. Hockenson at the goal line. The ball ricocheted off his chest, hangs in the air, and lands in the hands of Chargers diving linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. Two lucky, fluky plays that end up in the hands of Chargers and the Vikings exit Week 3 with their third loss. 

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was great in this game. The pass that Evans should’ve intercepted was probably the only blemish. And that ended up being a touchdown! For the game, Herbert completed 40 of 47 passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns. Throughout the game, I couldn’t help but think of Sam Bradford’s 2016 season with the Vikings when he completed a then league record 71.6% of his passes. The narrative of his accurate season was that he dinked and dunked his way to the record. Of Herbert’s 40 completions, only a handful traveled more than 10 yards in the air. I wouldn’t be surprised if the run-after-catch yards were more than the air yards. This isn’t meant to take anything away from Herbert’s terrific game. It’s meant to point out very selective narratives. 

I’ve enjoyed watching Keenan Allen since his Cal days. Great hands. Great route runner. He’s a fun receiver. I did not enjoy watching him play yesterday. He was incredible and the biggest reason for Herbert’s terrific game. Allen caught 18 passes for 215 yards. He also threw a 49-yard touchdown. Despite all those catches and all those yards, I actually think that Vikings corner Byron Murphy Jr. played well when lined up against him. Allen was just clicking. 

I was convinced that the Vikings would beat the Buccaneers in Week 1. I was hoping for the best against the Eagles on three days rest in Week 2. I was convinced that the Vikings would beat the Chargers in Week 3. Nothing has gone as expected or hoped through three weeks. I suppose that it’s promising that, if not for their own generosity, the Vikings would be/could be/should be 3-0. They must get out of their own way. They must stop the mistakes. They must beat the Carolina Panthers next Sunday.