GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NFL: SAN DIEGO (4-3) at MINNESOTA (2-5)

NFL: SAN DIEGO (4-3) at MINNESOTA (2-5)

<h3>After emotional win, Chargers head on road to face Vikings</h3>







San Diego (4-3) at Minnesota (2-5) 1:00 pm EDT


MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- The San Diego Chargers seek a return tonormalcy as they head on the road for Sunday's contest againstthe Minnesota Vikings.


The Chargers are coming off a difficult week after dealing withthe wildfires that swept through Southern California and led toQualcomm Stadium being used as an evacuation site.

They were forced out of San Diego and spent the week practicingat the Arizona Cardinals' facility in Phoenix. Despite thedisruption, the Chargers were not distracted and routed theHouston Texans, 35-10.


It was the third straight win for San Diego, which has recoveredfrom its 1-3 start and is tied with Kansas City for first placein the AFC West.


The Chargers' offense didn't do much as Philip Rivers attemptedonly 11 passes and LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for under 100yards. But cornerback Antonio Cromartie led a dominatingdefensive effort by scoring two touchdowns - one on a fumbledsnap in the end zone and the other on a 70-yard interceptionreturn.


Rivers threw three touchdowns against the Texans, despitecompleting only seven passes. The game was over early as SanDiego, which forced five turnovers, opened a 28-3 lead threeminutes into the second quarter.


Coach Norv Turner may ask Rivers to do more against the Vikings,whose defense ranks last against the pass, yielding 288 yardsper game.


In last week's 23-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesotaallowed Donovan McNabb to pass for 333 yards.


The sputtering Vikings have dropped two straight and five oftheir last six to fall into last place in the NFC Central.

Minnesota's passing attack, which ranks 30th, has been virtuallynon-existent the last two weeks and its quarterback situationremains unsettled.


Brooks Bollinger, the Vikings' third-string quarterback,provided a spark last week after Kelly Holcomb left inthe third quarter with a neck injury.


Bollinger completed 7-of-10 passes for 94 yards and leading theVikings to a pair of field goals.


Tarvaris Jackson, who missed last week's game with a brokenfinger, could return as the starter for this contest.

The Vikings also will be hoping for a bounce-back game fromrookie running back Adrian Peterson, who was held to 70 yardsagainst Eagles. Peterson entered the game as the league'sleading rusher with 670 yards.

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 0
MINNESOTA 0 14:53 LEFT, 1ST QTR

SDG BALL ON SDG 45 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 0
MINNESOTA 0 13:37 LEFT, 1ST QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 6 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 0
MINNESOTA 0 11:23 LEFT, 1ST QTR

SDG BALL ON SDG 47 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL SAN DIEGO 0
MINNESOTA 0 5:58 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL TD SDG
LADAINIAN TOMLINSON 2 YD RUN
(NATE KAEDING KICK)

SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 0 5:44 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 0 5:35 LEFT, 1ST QTR

MIN BALL ON SDG 40 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL TD MIN
ADRIAN PETERSON 1 YD RUN
(RYAN LONGWELL KICK)

SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 7 2:49 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 7 2:43 LEFT, 1ST QTR

SDG BALL ON SDG 20 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 7 1:44 LEFT, 1ST QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 20 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
SAN DIEGO 7 7
MINNESOTA 7 7 END, 1ST QTR

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: SDG - TD, LADAINIAN TOMLINSON 1 YD RUN (NATE
KAEDING KICK), 9:16. Drive: 10
plays, 53 yards in 5:39. Key plays:
Rivers 22-yard pass to Naanee to
Minnesota 28; Rivers 17-yard pass
to Naanee on 3rd-and-12 to
Minnesota 13; Tomlinson 11-yard run
plus 1-yard unnecessary roughness
penalty on Vikings' Smith to
Minnesota 1. SAN DIEGO 7-0
MIN - TD, ADRIAN PETERSON 1 YD RUN (RYAN
LONGWELL KICK), 12:11. Drive: 5
plays, 39 yards in 2:55. Key plays:
Allison 62-yard kickoff return to
San Diego 39; Peterson 17-yard run
to San Diego 5. SAN DIEGO 7-7</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 7 14:45 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 7 13:58 LEFT, 2ND QTR

SDG BALL ON SDG 22 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 7 12:07 LEFT, 2ND QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 4 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 7 9:50 LEFT, 2ND QTR

SDG BALL ON MIN 44 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 7 8:27 LEFT, 2ND QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 11 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 7 6:57 LEFT, 2ND QTR

SDG BALL ON SDG 31 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 7 5:58 LEFT, 2ND QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 16 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 7 3:59 LEFT, 2ND QTR

SDG BALL ON SDG 31 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: SAN DIEGO at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NFL
SAN DIEGO 7
MINNESOTA 7 2:24 LEFT, 2ND QTR

MIN BALL ON MIN 20 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>