The San Diego Chargers exorcised some early familiar mistakes to take a 24-17 win over the Vikings
Game Story:
The San Diego Chargers seemed headed for another one of those slow starts that have defined coach Norv Turner’s tenure.
The Chargers not only let Percy Harvin return the opening kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown, but kicker Nate Kaeding hurt his left knee on the play, forcing punter Mike Scifres to do his first place-kicking since college.
Well, guess again.
With the Vikings sputtering badly, Philip Rivers got the opening he’d been waiting for all afternoon. He threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to fullback Mike Tolbert with 5:01 to play to lift the Chargers to a 24-17 win on Sunday.
“When we face adversity, we don’t curl up and call it quits,” said Scifres, a nine-year veteran who signed a $19 million contract extension Wednesday.
“It’s big,” Rivers said. “We’d love not to have those interceptions, and we’d love to have that kickoff back and just let it be smooth and easy, but it’s these kind of wins that you really grow. You grow more than a week.”
On the winning play, Rivers rolled left and waited for Tolbert to get open inside the 5-yard line, then lobbed the pass.
Game Highlights: Watch highlights of the Chargers’ 24-17 win over the Vikings.
