Let's Talk Vikings: Vikings Fall Short Against Chargers

The first week of the NFL regular season resulted in a Vikings loss. The first half was dominated by the Vikings. The game began with a 103 yard kickoff return by Percy Harvin. The Chargers answered back with a Donovan McNabb interception, followed by a 1 yard touchdown pass. Later in the half, Donovan McNabb threw a 3 yard touchdown pass, making the halftime score 17-7, Vikings. The 3rd quarter was dominated by the Chargers, which consisted of a 7 yard touchdown run and a 40 yard field goal. A 19 yard touchdown pass by Phillip Rivers, sealed the deal, making a Vikings comeback hard to come by. The Vikings lost 24-17.

Many factors contributed to the Vikings losing:     

1. The Chargers defense shut out the Vikings for the most part, limiting Donovan McNabb to 39 yards passing, while going 7-15 on pass attempts, and throwing for 1 touchdown and 1 interception. McNabb also ran 3 times for 32 yards. Adrian Peterson ran for 98 yards on 16 carries.

2. The Vikings did not pass enough. Philip Rivers threw 48 passes and McNabb only threw 15 passes. Running the ball did not consistently work, and even though Adrian Peterson averaged about 6 yards per carry, it seemed as though other than a few long runs, he did not run the ball well.

However, for the most part, the Vikings defense played well. They recorded 2 sacks and 4 hits on Phillip Rivers. The Vikings defense also forced 2 interceptions. The Vikings also had Jared Allen cover the pass on some plays. He even intercepted 1 Phillip Rivers pass.

The Vikings looked great in the first half, but could not finish the game in the second half. However, it could have been worse! The Vikings played well against what many are considering to be a playoff team, the San Diego Chargers.

Next week the Vikings play their first home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

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