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Week 9 Game Recap: San Diego Chargers 17, Minnesota Vikings 35
What you need to know
| San Diego Chargers |
After dominating their opponents the past few weeks, the San Diego offense came out and laid a giant egg. None of the parts were working well, especially the so-called "Big Three" of the offense (QB Philip Rivers, RB LaDainian Tomlinson, and TE Antonio Gates). Rivers and Gates had career worst games, and Tomlinson wasn't far behind.
CB Antonio Cromartie continued to add to his own personal highlight reel. In this game, he returned a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown, setting an unbreakable league record for the longest play in the history of the league.
The San Diego defense was carved up by the RB tandem of rookie Adrian Peterson and veteran Chester Taylor. The Chargers, who entered the game ranked seventh in the league against the run, allowed Peterson to rush for a league record 296 yards on the ground with three scores.
| Minnesota Vikings |
Rookie RB sensation Adrian Peterson dazzled the home crowd with one highlight run after another, en route to breaking Jamal Lewis's single game rushing record. Peterson finished the afternoon with 296 yards on 30 carries and scored three times while calling into question who the best running back in the game really is.
Starting QB Tarvaris Jackson was knocked from the game after trying to rush for the first down. Backup Brooks Bollinger filled in capably while in there. Jackson remained on the sidelines in the second half and was seen laughing and joking with teammates, so the effect didn't seem severe enough to hamper him long-term.
WR Sidney Rice had something of a breakout game, with 66 yards including a 40 yard bomb from Bollinger that put the game out of reach.
What you ought to know
| QB Philip Rivers, Pass: 19 - 42 - 197 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 5 - 0 |
As if the final stats (45% completion percentage, 4.7 yards per pass) aren't telling enough, it was even more evident watching this game that Philip Rivers was awful. There is a laundry list of things he did wrong, and that's before getting into his constant complaining to the officials after nearly every offensive play in the second half. Facing the league's worst pass defense coming in, most expected a banner day. Instead, he had one of the worst games of his pro career. At one point, he threw ten consecutive incomplete passes. And at this point, if you can't rely on him against a pass defense like this, then who exactly can you trust him against?
He nearly hooked up with WR Vincent Jackson for what would have been a long touchdown in the first half, but the pass was slightly underthrown. Despite Jackson beating his defender by several steps, he had to slow down and wait for the pass to get to him. It was knocked away at the last moment. The interception he later threw was a case of trying to force a pass in traffic to Antonio Gates, and was delivered off balance and without any clear direction. Rivers has really regressed in his second full season as a starter, his mechanics have looked completely out of whack, and his stat line is only healthy at times because of some sparkling plays after the catch by players like Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson. As we've mentioned several times already this season, Rivers and Tomlinson once again had a moment late in the game where Tomlinson ran a route out into the flat and Rivers threw a pass that hit him in the back before the running back had time to turn around and find it. If it happened once or twice, you could chalk it up to isolated cases of miscommunication. But it has become almost an every-game situation between these two, with no signs of stopping. In and of itself, it might not be a huge issue. But with the team struggling, mistakes like this are magnified and they are more or less an indicator of the state of the offense on the whole. Before you think all hope is lost for Rivers, there were two impressive plays he made on the day. One was when he showed a tremendous amount of strength in fighting off would-be tacklers in the end zone to avoid a safety. Another was on a crisp sideline pass to Chris Chambers that threaded the needle beautifully between several defenders. That is perhaps one of the more maddening issues with Rivers -- that he can look so poor for an entire game, and then suddenly deliver a pass into such a space that would make Peyton Manning proud.
Rivers lost a 40 yard completion to Chambers late in the game when Vincent Jackson was whistled for an illegal formation penalty. He also nearly hooked up with TE Antonio Gates for a touchdown on the last drive of the afternoon. Rivers delivered a pass into the end zone that Gates momentarily had in his possession, but it was ripped from his hands for an incompletion. On the very next pass, Rivers again had Gates open in the back of the end zone, but the pass was tipped away at the last moment by Cedric Griffin.
| RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Rush: 16 - 40 - 1, Rec: 6 - 37 - 0 (10 targets) |
Facing one of the league's best run defenses, Tomlinson had trouble finding any room to run at all. His big gain of the day went for 11 yards, but his other 15 carries totaled just 29 yards. He did manage to find the end zone, but even that was a struggle as he was stuffed at the goal line both on first and second down. The touchdown was the 107th score of his career, passing the great Jim Brown on the league's all-time touchdown list. While his highlight reel for the game won't compare to counterpart Adrian Peterson, Tomlinson did show terrific skill and concentration late in the fourth quarter with a one-handed grab on a crossing route that was thrown behind him.
| WR Chris Chambers, Rec: 5 - 59 - 0 (11 targets) |
The stat line for Chambers doesn't look terrible, but it'd look a whole lot nicer with another 85 yards or so tacked on. Chambers was the recipient of a very nice 40 yard grab late in the fourth quarter as San Diego was attempting a comeback, but fellow WR Vincent Jackson was called for an illegal motion penalty that negated the Chambers catch. Chambers was also the target of a deep ball earlier from Rivers that was thrown right on the sideline. Unfortunately for Chambers, he lost the ball in the air when he turned towards the inside. It was unclear who was at fault for the miscommunication, though it doesn't really matter much because the bottom line is that Chambers lost about 30 yards or so on that play as well. The third instance of missed opportunity came in the form of a dropped 15 yard pass over the middle. The play wasn't entirely Chambers' fault, as he actually made a nice play to slide down and pick the ball off the turf. But he couldn't hang onto the ball as he hit the ground, and despite a San Diego challenge it was ruled an incomplete pass.
| WR Legedu Naanee, Rec: 2 - 39 - 0 (2 targets) |
Naanee, who entered the game without a single offensive touch in his pro career, caught two passes on San Diego's second possession of the game. One of the grabs was a very nice play in traffic in which he took a big hit from the defender over the middle and still managed to hang on.
| WR Vincent Jackson, Rec: 1 - 16 - 0 (8 targets) |
Jackson's afternoon was littered with lost opportunities. His day was best summed up by a sequence of plays in the second quarter. Jackson had broken free from his defender and was off down the sideline for what should have been a 65 yard touchdown pass. But, the ball was underthrown and knocked away from Jackson at the last moment. Jackson was then whistled for offensive pass interference. And finally, he dropped the third down pass that would've given the team a first down. He didn't make his first reception until late in the third quarter. And he had a hand in one of the biggest plays of the game in a negative way when his illegal motion penalty negated a nice 40 yard reception by Chris Chambers.
| TE Brandon Manumaleuna, Rec: 2 - 13 - 0 (3 targets) |
Manumaleuna wouldn't typically get much coverage in this space, but on a day when he was the leading receiver amongst San Diego tight ends, that's pretty noteworthy. He had just one reception each in the first and second halves.
| TE Antonio Gates, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (6 targets) |
Gates was thrown to until late in the second quarter, and didn't record his first reception until late in the third quarter. The Vikings did a terrific job of getting pressure up the middle on Philip Rivers, which in turn meant he couldn't look over the middle for his favorite target. The lack of several other weapons on offense (Malcom Floyd, Craig Davis) may have played a part as well, as more attention was paid to Gates than usual. Despite the worst stats of his career, Gates still nearly salvaged the day for fantasy owners on the last drive of the game. Though he came up short, Gates actually had his hands on a pass in the end zone. Unfortunately for him, the ball was ripped away at the last moment. On the next play, Gates got free along the back line of the end zone as Rivers floated a pass for him. But CB Cedric Griffin leapt up and batted the ball away from Gates on what would have been a sure touchdown.
| PK Nate Kaeding 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points |
Kaeding connected from 36 yards out, but never got another opportunity for a field goal.
| SD Rush Defense |
The stats will show that the Chargers allowed the most rushing yards by an individual in league history. They'll also show that they allowed 378 yards on the ground overall. And by no means are those stats justifiable. But it is rather telling that the vast majority of Minnesota's rushing totals came in the second half after DL Luis Castillo left the game with what appeared to be a serious lower leg injury. Castillo was unable to put any weight on the leg as he was helped to the sideline by the training staff. Not only that, but the Chargers had earlier lost Jacques Cesaire, and were already playing the game without LB Shaun Phillips. That's not to take anything away from Peterson or to give excuses as to why San Diego struggled -- just reasons. In fact, early on the Chargers were doing a great job in the running game and were basically living in the Minnesota backfield. In fact, at halftime Peterson had 13 carries for just 43 yards and one touchdown (3.3 YPC). After his six yard run on which Castillo was hurt, Peterson had 16 more carries for 247 yards and two additional scores.
Despite the Castillo injury, there is no excuse for San Diego giving up that many yards regardless of who the backup DE is. The fact is, they played incredibly poorly in this aspect of the game and it was the sole reason that they were unable to hang with the Vikings in the second half.
| SD Pass Defense |
The Chargers did a good job of taking away anything in the deep passing game early on, essentially forcing Tarvaris Jackson to beat them underneath. He was unable to, which is a big reason why the Chargers were able to build a 14-7 halftime lead. Still, Jackson was given far too much time to pass at times. There was very little pass rush to speak of, and very few bright spots. When Brooks Bollinger came into the game, it looked as if San Diego was going to tee off on him. He was sacked on his first play from scrimmage, but the Chargers never got close again. In fact, they actually allowed him to do what Tarvaris Jackson was unable to do -- and that's to beat them on the deep ball. Bollinger hooked up with rookie WR Sidney Rice, who had beaten CB Drayton Florence on a double move down the sideline for the game-winning score.
One of the rare bright spots was the continued excellent play of CB Antonio Cromartie. On a 58 yard field goal attempt to close out the first half, Cromartie ran to the back of the end zone to field the kick in case it fell short. It did fall just short, and Cromartie made a nice play to keep his feet in bounds by a matter of less than a foot while reaching up and plucking the ball out of the air before it went out of bounds. He then had the presence of mind to turn upfield for what turned out to be a 109 yard touchdown return for the longest play in NFL history. Since it is impossible to have a 110 yard play, this will stand for all time as a true unbreakable record as the longest play in league history (though it can be tied by others). Cromartie also appeared to get a hand on a punt early in the first quarter as he proved his versatility in more ways than one in this game.
LB Shaun Phillips did not play after injuring his groin a week ago. CB Quentin Jammer left the game after re-aggravating his hamstring injury. DE Luis Castillo injured his leg and couldn't put any weight on it as he left the field.
| QB Tarvaris Jackson, Pass: 6 - 12 - 63 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 19 - 0 |
Jackson was having the most pedestrian game imaginable when he was knocked from the contest courtesy of a sandwich tackle by LBs Stephen Cooper and Shawne Merriman. He had one ball nearly picked off by S Marlon McCree, he had another tipped by LB Stephen Cooper, and a third pass that seemingly every Charger defender had a hand on before it fell incomplete. He also wasn't doing much to move the offense or put points on the board, and getting knocked from the game may have been something of a blessing in disguise for Minnesota. Despite getting a ton of time to throw from his offensive line, Jackson couldn't find anyone downfield and didn't do a ton with his legs to make up for it. In fact, his best run of the day coincided with his final play of the day. He dove at the end of a ten yard run, only to have his helmet jostled around and banged into the turf by Merriman and Cooper. Jackson didn't return to the game. He was later seen on the sidelines laughing and joking with teammates and celebrating the victory, so hopefully for his sake the injury won't be serious. We'll keep you updated throughout the week in any case.
| QB Brooks Bollinger, Pass: 7 - 10 - 95 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 |
Bollinger entered the game when starter Tarvaris Jackson was knocked out of it. Bollinger's stats won't wow anyone, and that's because 40 of his 95 yards came on one play. But it was that one play that was the death blow for San Diego, as the 40 yard bomb ended up in the hands of Sidney Rice down the sideline. It put Minnesota up 21-14 and turned out to be the game-winning score. Essentially, it turned out that Bollinger was most effective at what the Vikings really needed him to do -- and that's to hand the ball off to RB Adrian Peterson. With San Diego keying on Peterson so much and the fact that he still set the all-time single game rushing record, it's safe to say that this will be the approach going forward whether the Vikings QB is Jackson or Bollinger. Jackson's status will be updated throughout the week, so be sure to check with us if your hopes are riding on the starting QB for the Vikings (and we sincerely hope for your sake that they aren't).
| RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 30 - 296 - 3, Rec: 1 - 19 - 0 (2 targets) |
We could just tell you to go and look at the stats. After all, when a player breaks the all-time single game rushing record there are only so many superlatives to describe the performance. Despite a rather pedestrian first half (14 carries for 43 yards), Peterson really took off in the second half. He broke big gain after big gain, and seemingly picked up a first down or a touchdown on almost all of his carries after halftime. It appeared as if his speed to the edge caught the Chargers defenders by surprise, in particular LB Shawne Merriman. On several occasions, Merriman appeared to have the corner contained only to have Peterson run right by him. It wasn't just Merriman, of course. All of the San Diego defenders looked about seven steps slower than Peterson. He ran with power to both sides of the field, and once he got into space there was no stopping him. Other teams that will play Minnesota in the upcoming weeks can look to the highlights of this one to see that arm tackles on Peterson aren't quite going to get the job done. He ran over, through, around San Diego defenders the entire second half. He actually came out of the game after a 35 yard gallop while sitting on 293 yards. Following a Chester Taylor run, Peterson got back into the game and was able to pick up the necessary three yards to break Lewis' record before exiting for good. About the only blemish on Peterson's afternoon was a fumble that he coughed up in the fourth quarter. But his next carry went for a 46 yard touchdown, so he kind of made up for it.
| RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 9 - 60 - 1, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (4 targets) |
Lost in the madness of Adrian Peterson's record-setting performance is the fact that Taylor quietly piled up 60 yards of his own on just nine carries (and a touchdown). He even busted a very Peterson-esque 34 yard scamper up the left side late in the game to pad the stats a bit. Of course, it wasn't all positive for Taylor as he fumbled near the goal line one play after being taken down at the three. But he did manage to find the end zone for the first time this season, so that made up for the fumble. As usual, Taylor came in the game when Peterson needed a rest or on third down passing situations.
| WR Sidney Rice, Rec: 4 - 66 - 1 (6 targets) |
Rice used a gorgeous double move to beat veteran CB Drayton Florence for a 40 yard touchdown bomb midway through the third quarter that turned out to be the game winning score. Rice added three other catches totaling 26 yards on the afternoon, but it was the deep ball that really made his mark on the game. It was very close to not even being a score, as Rice's momentum after the catch was carrying him towards the sideline. He nearly stepped out of bounds twice inside the ten yard line, and eventually decided to dive and leap for the goal line from about five yards out to ensure he stayed inbounds.
| WR Robert Ferguson, Rec: 3 - 24 - 0 (4 targets) |
Ferguson was active early on, but his role reduced quickly with the emergence of Adrian Peterson as the focal point of the offense in the second half. Ferguson's long reception went for just 11 yards, and he wasn't a big factor in the outcome.
| TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (2 targets) |
Shiancoe's efforts in the passing game were few and far between, as has been the case for much of this season.
| PK Ryan Longwell 0 - 1 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 5 points |
Longwell was short on a 58 yard field goal attempt to close out the first half. The missed kick was returned by Antonio Cromartie 109 yards for a touchdown the other way. It should be noted that the kick was short enough that Cromartie was able to reach up and catch it out of the air with his feet still on the ground. So we know what Longwell's approximate indoor range is now.
| MIN Rush Defense |
As expected, Minnesota keyed on LaDainian Tomlinson and simply did not allow him to beat them. Tomlinson did find the end zone, but that was really the extent of his damage. And even the touchdown was well-earned, as Minnesota stuffed him at the goal line twice before he finally fought his way in. They allowed just 40 yards to Tomlinson and just 42 to the Chargers overall, despite the game remaining close until the closing moments of the fourth quarter. Minnesota's defenders basically lived in the San Diego backfield all game long and really did a terrific job of wrapping Tomlinson up on first contact and never giving up those all-important yards after contact.
| MIN Pass Defense |
For a team with a reputation as one of the league's worse teams against the pass, the Vikings sure surprised a lot of people, not the least of which was QB Philip Rivers. Rivers never had time to pass, and when he did it was only because he had bought some time after running away from a defender. At one point, the Vikings forced him into ten straight incomplete passes. And it's not like they were close to being completed, either. Rivers was harassed and hassled the entire game, with LB E.J. Henderson in particular roaming free for pretty much the whole afternoon. They did an amazing job in coverage on TE Antonio Gates, who wasn't thrown to until late in the second quarter and didn't record his first catch until late in the third. It was also his only catch. Even on the last drive by San Diego with the outcome well in hand, the Vikings were still playing spirited pass defense. They ripped a ball away from Gates in the end zone and then tipped a ball in the air to save another one on fourth down. Perhaps the best play of all was made by S Dwight Smith, who was beaten by WR Vincent Jackson on a deep ball, only to make up the space and tip the ball away at the last moment and save a touchdown.
