The Chargers have their first win of the season after getting a thrilling 28-24 win.
Here's a game recap from Week 3 in Minnesota:
First Quarter
Derwin James, Jr., Keenan Allen and Sebastian Joseph-Day were the Chargers captains. The Vikings won the toss and elected to defer. The Bolts started with the ball but went three-and-out on a sequence that was hurt by a second-down holding call. The Chargers punted it away with a bad bounce giving the Vikings the ball at their own 43-yard line. Minnesota drove into the red zone but Alohi Gilman forced a takeaway by ripping the ball away from T.J. Hockenson.
The Bolts began at their own 21 and promptly marched down the field. Justin Herbert found Keenan Allen and Gerald Everett to move the chains on third downs, with the quarterback adding in a 12-yard scramble as well. Herbert then delivered a strike to Allen for 25 yards on third-and-7 to set up the Bolts inside the 5-yard line. Herbert ended the drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Donald Parham, Jr., his second score of the year
The Vikings drove into Chargers territory but Joey Bosa and Tuli Tuipulotu split a sack on the final play of the quarter with the Bolts leading 7-0.
Second Quarter
The Bolts drove to near midfield but couldn't sustain their drive as Hebert threw incomplete on third down. Minnesota started at its own 25 after the punt. The Vikings moved down the field as Justin Jefferson had back-to-back catches for 55 total yards. Minnesota tied the game midway through the second quarter with a 4-yard touchdown pass. The Chargers took over and advanced near midfield but committed their first turnover of the season when Joshua Palmer was stripped of the ball.
The Bolts had the Vikings in second-and-20 but the defense was called for pass interference. The Vikings had third-and-goal from the 15 and were short on a screen pass, but James was called for a personal foul. Even with all that, the Chargers held firm by forcing and recovering a fumble near the goal line, but officials ruled forward progress had stopped and gave the ball back to the Vikings. The Bolts then dropped an interception in the end zone and eventually forced the Vikings to settle for a field goal.
Down 10-7 with 2 minutes left, the Chargers got to midfield through the air. Herbert stayed hot and hit Palmer for 29 yards to get to the 6. The Bolts faced fourth-and-goal at the 1 and kept their offense on the field, converting when Herbert found Parham for a 1-yard score to take a 14-10 lead at the break.
Third Quarter
The Vikings began with the ball but the Chargers defense forced a three-and-out to start the half. The Bolts began at their own 6-yard line but got out of trouble when Herbert hit Mike Williams for a 35-yard gain.
A 25-yard pass to Allen moved the Bolts into Vikings territory but the drive stalled. Cameron Dicker's 53-yard field goal try was wide left as the Chargers came up empty. But the Chargers defense forced another punt before the Bolts reached into their bag of tricks. On first-and-10 at the Vikings 49, Herbert threw to ball to Allen behind the line of scrimmage ... and he foudn a wide open Williams down the sideline for a score.
The Bolts had the Vikings on the ropes later in the quarter but couldn't get off the field. Minnesota faced fourth-and-6 and kept its offense on the field, only to hit a 36-yard touchdown pass. The Chargers had a chance to add to their lead but lost Williams to an injury on the drive. The Bolts punted it away and led 21-17 at the end of the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Vikings took the lead a few minutes into the fourth quarter as the Bolts allowed a 52-yard touchdown to Jefferson. The Bolts advanced to midfield and faced third-and-17, only for Herbert to find Allen for 20 yards as the wide receiver set a new career best with 192 receiving yards. Herbert then got a bit of luck when a tipped pass landed in Palmer's hands for a 30-yard score as the Chargers took a 28-24 lead.
The Vikings went on a drive but it ultimately ended without points. Minnesota had first-and-goal at the 3 but was denied on four plays, including a Michael Davis pass breakup on fourth down intended for Jefferson. The Bolts began at the 2 but quickly got a first down on an Allen reception. But the Bolts faced fourth-and-1 at their own 24 and went for it but were stuffed. The Vikings took over at their own 24 but soon faced third-and-11. The ensuing pass was incomplete in the end zone but the Bolts were called for a defensive penalty. The Chargers were firm again and got the Vikings into fourth-and-5 at the 15, but the Vikings moved the chains again. But Kenenth Murray, Jr. saved the day with an interception in the end zone to seal the game. The Bolts moved to 1-2 with a 28-24 win.
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