The Vikings 23-10 victory over the Chargers wasn't the only loss the Bolts suffered on Sunday.
Running back Branden Oliver was carted off the field late in the first half after injuring his Achilles, with the team fearing he will miss an extended period of time.
One of the most popular Chargers in the locker room, the news hit the team hard. Oliver missed the last eight games of the 2015 campaign with a foot injury, and worked diligently to return to form.
"For a guy who works so hard, and does everything the right way, (it's tough to see)," said Head Coach Mike McCoy. "His teammates love him. You love coaching him. You've seen what he went through to get back; it's a shame. Some guys in this business have bad luck. We tell the players you have to show up every single day to work in this business and treat it like it's your last because you never know what's going to happen. As good as a human being he is and the way he works, it's not fair."
That sentiment was echoed by Oliver's teammates, especially his fellow running backs. Danny Woodhead has a particularly close relationship with number 43, and shared what he told him as he was carted off.
"I went out there as a friend and just prayed for him. That's the only thing you can do in a situation like that. I love the guy, he's a great dude…. He's what you see. Obviously takes care of himself great. He's in early and detail-oriented with game plans. He is what you see and it's not surprising that he's a great football player. It just sucks that it happened to him."
Oliver was injured as the Chargers attempted to put points on the board at the end of the half. Kellen Clemens found him on a screen pass, but he was quickly tripped up and brought to the ground. The running back then punched the ground in frustration.
The third year back was expected to serve multiple roles this season. In addition to his prowess pounding the rock and catching the ball out of the backfield, he is listed as the team's number one kickoff returner.
"That's unfortunate," added Melvin Gordon. "It kind of makes you sad (because) he works so hard to be where he's at. If you come to practices and watch him, he goes hard every rep. You hate to see that happen…. I told him I'll pray for him and to get healthy. It's not like he's on his last run. He has a lot of football left, it's not over. But it's still sad to see it."
After the game, some of Oliver's teammates took to social media to send him their best wishes.
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