The NFL Week 8 schedule opened on Thursday night with the Los Angeles Chargers delivering an emphatic 37-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings. It was an impressive showing by both quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers defense.
Here are some key takeaways from their big win.
The Chargers needed a game like this
After starting the regular season with a 3-0 record, things looked like they were finally trending in the right direction for the Chargers, as if this might finally be the season they live up to all of the preseason hype.
Then they lost three of the next four games and didn’t look particularly strong in the one game they did win, barely sneaking by a Miami Dolphins team that only has one win and is one of the worst in the NFL.
It would have been easy for Chargers fans and observers to get a feeling of “here we go again” and that Lucy was going to pull the football away from Charlie Brown at the last minute and send them tumbling toward another wasted 8-9 season.
But then, their superstar quarterback delivered the type of dominant performance that should make this team a serious contender in the AFC. With that, the positive vibes from early in the season might be back.
Herbert was brilliant with both his arm and his legs, completing 18-of-25 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 62 yards on seven attempts. As great as he was with his arm, it was his mobility and legs that really helped swing the game.
Overturned pick-six was early turning point
While Herbert was mostly outstanding, he and the Chargers did get a huge break early in the game when a potential Isiah Rodgers pick-six was overturned on replay review.
It was an extremely close call, with Amazon officiating expert Terry McAulay saying he did not see enough to overturn the call on the field (which was an interception returned for a touchdown).
