Chargers Dominate Vikings 37–10 Behind Herbert’s Three Touchdowns

by Jake Lax, October 24, 2025

Source: AP Photo

A Crucial Week 8 Matchup

Week 8 of the NFL season kicked off on Thursday Night Football with the Minnesota Vikings traveling to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers. The Vikings came into the game at the bottom of the NFC North at 3-3, after losing to the Eagles last week. As for the Chargers, they came in at 4-3 after suffering a 38-24 loss in week 7 to the Indianapolis Colts. Both teams came into the game needing a win to gain momentum for their pursuit of a playoff spot, but only one could walk away victorious.

Carson Wentz remained the starting quarterback for Minnesota as head coach Kevin O’Connell opted to ease J.J. McCarthy back from injury. The Vikings opened the game with the ball but managed just one first down, which came on a 16-yard connection to the NFL’s top wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, before being forced to punt.

Chargers Strike First

On the Chargers’ second play from scrimmage, Justin Herbert appeared to throw an interception to Vikings cornerback Isiah Rodgers, who returned it 17 yards for a touchdown. However, after review, officials ruled the ball had hit the ground before Rodgers secured it. The drive continued, and Herbert quickly found his rhythm, completing six consecutive passes, capping it off with an 8-yard touchdown strike to Oronde Gadsden to finish an 83-yard drive and give Los Angeles an early 7–0 lead.

The Vikings offense came back onto the field for a quick 3 and out, then it was back to Herbert and the Chargers. This time, it was all the ground game for the Chargers. Running back Kimani Vidal and Justin Herbert ran the ball all the way to the endzone; this drive covered 59 total yards, 52 from the ground game. The drive was capped off with a 3-yard touchdown run from Vidal to extend the Los Angeles lead to 14-0.

Wentz and the Vikings were finally able to put together a drive of a couple of short passes to get into field goal range. Minnesota kicker Will Reichard drilled a 54-yard field goal to put 3 on the board for the Vikings. However, the Chargers’ offense showed no signs of slowing down as Justin Herbert led an impressive 94-yard scoring drive late in the first half. Herbert looked poised, spreading the ball around before repeatedly finding wide receiver Ladd McConkey. McConkey came up big on the drive, hauling in three key receptions for gains of 16 and 15 yards before capping it off with a beautiful 27-yard touchdown catch in the back of the end zone. The score pushed the Chargers’ lead to a commanding 21–3 advantage as the first half was winding down. Vikings kicker Will Reichard would miss a 53-yard field goal to end the first half.

Herbert and McConkey Take Control

The second half saw Los Angeles on the field again, hitting Vidal for some big runs to bring them into Minnesota territory. Herbert missed McConkey on a third down, forcing the Chargers to bring out Cameron “Dicker the kicker” to kick a 43-yard field goal. Dicker drilled the kick to extend the lead to 24-3. The Vikings still failed to get any offense going as the drive ended with Wentz getting sacked by Khalil Mack.

Minnesota finally caught a much-needed break when Justin Herbert’s pass intended for Ladd McConkey was intercepted by safety Joshua Metellus. The turnover gave the Vikings excellent field position just outside the red zone, providing a spark the offense had been searching for. A pair of costly Chargers penalties quickly moved Minnesota inside the 5-yard line, setting up a 1st-and-goal from the 4. On the next play, Carson Wentz delivered a strike to Jordan Addison in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown, cutting the deficit to two scores.

As the third quarter ended, the Chargers once again began marching down the field, methodically moving the ball into Minnesota territory. Early in the fourth quarter, Herbert capped off the drive by finding Tre’ Harris on a 6-yard touchdown pass, stretching Los Angeles’s lead to 31–10. Desperate for points, the Vikings’ offense took the field, but any hopes of a comeback quickly faded. On just the second play of the drive, Wentz tried to hit Justin Jefferson deep downfield, only to overthrow him and have the pass picked off by safety RJ Mickens, halting Minnesota’s momentum once again. The Chargers would get a pair of field goals from Cameron Dicker to close out the game 37-10.

Justin Herbert would finish with 227 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, while Kimani Vidal ran for 117 yards and a touchdown. The defense of the Chargers totaled 5 sacks, hitting Wentz almost every pass he dropped back for.

Final Stats and Takeaways

• Justin Herbert: 227 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
• Kimani Vidal: 117 rushing yards, 1 TD
• Chargers Defense: 5 sacks, relentless pressure all night

The Vikings fall to 3-4 on the season and will be on the road again next week to play a tough Detroit Lions team. As for the Chargers, they improve to 5-3 and will travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans.