INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns, and the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 37-10 on Thursday night, ending a skid of three losses in four games that knocked them from atop the AFC West.
The Chargers (5-3) won for the first time since Week 6 at Miami, bouncing back four days after a resounding to the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium.
Keenan Allen had four catches for 44 yards and joined Hall of Famer Antonio Gates as the only players in Chargers history with 11,000 receiving yards.
The Vikings (3-4) lost consecutive games for the first time this season, with both coming in a five-day span. They managed just 12 first downs, were 3 of 11 on third down and had the ball for just 21 minutes.
started on short rest in place of quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who missed his fifth straight game with an ankle injury. Wentz was 15 of 27 for 144 yards with one touchdown and an interception while getting sacked five times. He played through a left shoulder injury that he aggravated multiple times.
The Chargers had chances to score on all four of their possessions in the first half, and they led 21-3 at the break. They missed only on Cameron Dicker’s 49-yard field-goal attempt that went wide left after holder JK Scott had to go up and get a bad snap. Dicker had made 46 of 47 attempts at home.
Oronde Gadsden II caught an 8-yard TD pass, Kimani Vidal scored on a 3-yard run and Ladd McConkey caught a 27-yard scoring pass.
Scott salvaged another bad snap on Dicker’s 49-yard field goal early in the third that extended the lead to 24-3.
After the Vikings were forced to punt, Herbert was intercepted at the Chargers 26. That led to the Vikings’ lone touchdown, helped by two Chargers penalties.
Will Reichard’s 32-yard field goal was nullified when the Chargers were penalized for having too many men on the field. The Vikings went for it on fourth-and-9 and Wentz nearly got sacked, but Chargers cornerback Benjamin St-Juste was penalized for illegal contact. That kept the drive alive and Wentz hit Jordan Addison for a 4-yard score to make it 24-10.
The Chargers answered early in the fourth on Herbert’s 6-yard pass over the middle to Tre’ Harris. The Vikings were penalized for too may players on the field and the Chargers overcame a false-start penalty by Foster Sarell.
Rookie RJ Mickens had his first career interception, picking off Wentz to end Minnesota’s first possession in the fourth.
The Chargers caught a couple of breaks on their way to taking a 7-0 lead.
Isaiah Rodgers’ apparent pick-6 of Herbert was reversed and ruled an incomplete pass.
Herbert scrambled up the middle, dodging two defenders in the backfield and two at the line of scrimmage, to get the Chargers to third-and-goal. On the next play, Gadsden scored before the rookie was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Vikings running back Aaron Jones returned from a hamstring injury that kept him out the last four games. He rushed for 15 yards on five carries and had two catches for 15 yards.
Injuries
Vikings: CB Jeff Okudah (concussion) left in the third quarter. … LT Christian Darrisaw (knee) and TE Josh Oliver (foot) got hurt.
Chargers: S Derwin James Jr. (ankle) got hurt in the first quarter and didn’t return.
Up next
The Vikings visit Detroit and the Chargers visit Tennessee on Sunday, Nov. 2.
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