Just five days earlier at SoFi Stadium, Justin Herbert was chasing points all game and putting up monster numbers.
At home on Thursday, Herbert flashed again with a much more favorable result.
Herbert threw three touchdowns for the second straight game and led the Los Angeles Chargers to an impressive 37-10 home victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
“Yeah, big win for us,” said Herbert, whose Chargers improved to 5-3 after dropping three of their last four. “A big opportunity for us to correct some of our mistakes. And I thought all three phases did that. It was just good to see the Chargers win today.”
On the night, Herbert completed 18 of 25 passes for 227 yards, three TDs, one interception and a 122.8 passer rating, while also rushing for 62 yards on eight carries. It was his third career game with three or more TD throws and 50-plus rushing yards, a stat that no other Chargers QB in history has ever produced, according to NFL Research.
On Sunday, in a 38-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Herbert and the Bolts trailed by as many as 21 points, so his 37-for-55 finish with 420 yards, three TDs and two interceptions was a little misleading.
On Thursday, Herbert was leading the pack from the start, carving up the Vikings, standing up to their blitzes and overcoming some blemishes. Herbert beat them both — a near interception in the first quarter and an INT in the third — in resounding fashion.
“There’s just another thing about Justin Herbert that I don’t know how he does it,” LA coach Jim Harbaugh said. “It’s nothing but respect. You know, being able to actually throw an interception and then come back on the next drive. It’s the great ones that can do that. The great, great ones. Just measuring what they do after something goes bad, after there’s an interception. That’s the worst thing that can really happen to you as a quarterback. And then map out what they do on the next interception, you know, not the close of it, shainbert. not the great ones, you know, back straight down the field. After that, a near interception and a touch drive. After the interception on the tip, (he) puts together another drive, another scoring drive and another after that. It’s amazing.”