Vikings vs. Chargers: 9 Things We Learned from Their Week 1 Showdown

On the road in Week 1, the Minnesota Vikings got off to a hot start, only to wind up losing out to the San Diego Chargers, 24-17. But what exactly did we learn about each team?

Well, we learned quite a few things, but not exactly what many would've anticipated.

Many thought the Chargers were going to torch the Vikings. Many also felt that the Vikings were a lot worse than they showed themselves to be, leaving a few head-scratching observations after Sunday's loss.

But to see what the rest are, you're going to have to read further.

McNabb Needs To Pass More

Passing only 15 times in a game is just not going to be enough to win, let alone preserve a win, especially against a high-powered offense such as San Diego.

McNabb has only had two other instances in the past two years where he threw less than 20 passes. Those were against his former team, Philadelphia in 2010 (won 17-12), and against Carolina at the start of the 2009 season (also won 38-10).

The Chargers Defense IS as Good as Expected

They were the No. 1 ranked defense in 2010, and the 2011 version of the San Diego Chargers D has seemingly picked up right where they left off.

The Chargers were able to contain very well, get to the ball responsively and keep the Vikings just out of reach of the end zone in the second half.

The other highlight was the Chargers ability to get to the quarterback, which leads me into the next slide...

The O-Line Has a Lot of Work To Do

Okay, yes, they were playing one of the best defensive lines in the National Football League, but there should've been better play from the Vikings' front five, hands down.

The line looked inconsistent, slow off the snap and at times, overwhelmed.

If the Vikings are going to do anything this year, they are going to have to figure out how to get this O-line on-par with pass protection, not just run blocking.

Norv Turner Is Still Norv Turner

How many people always hear the expression "Doh!" whenever they see Turner make a bad decision?

Turner has always been a guy who has been just good enough to get his team headed in the right path, but never to the actual destination. If he keeps this up, this could even wind up being his last head coaching job.

We saw yet another example of his goofy decisions in Week 1, when he decided to go for it on fourth down, instead of just taking the field goal points late in the game.

Some may say it was a gutsy call, but when it's Norv Turner dialing the play, most call it a poor decision.

Vikings Special Teams Looks Good

We already saw hints of an overall improvement on the Vikings special teams in preseason, and that effort continued in this match up, solidifying the notion.

It wasn't just Harvin's return I am getting at here. Rather, I mean the way the players got into their positional blocks and held them, and how they were able to keep the kicking green clean.

It would be really nice to get a bona-certified return man instead of Harvin, but he'll have to do for now.

Adrian IS Worth the Coin

Okay, so he did get the money and he also showed—once again—that he is, and will be, worth every bit of every last red cent the Vikings decided to pay him.

Peterson ran for 98 yards on 16 carries against a much better Chargers D than when he last torched them for 296 yards in his rookie season in 2007.

In that contest, Peterson ran 30 times.

If we prorate his numbers from this game he would've had just about the same result, but again, against a better run defense, which further supports the notion.

The Defense Looked Great But....

Fred Pagac wanted to enter the 2011 season more aggressive on the defensive side of the ball, and he did just that in this contest, with mixed results.

The Vikings managed just two sacks, but did get four hits on Rivers and intercepted him twice.  They had him running around all day long.

The problem was, though, when the Chargers changed their offensive approach, Pagac never adjusted.

The Chargers had trouble stopping the blitzes and pressure from the Vikings, and also had trouble breaking through the coverage packages, which caused them to adjust.

San Diego abandoned the deep-ball focus, and reverted to throwing the short routes underneath to Mike Tolbert and Antonio Gates.But the Vikings never really adjusted to the Chargers adjustment, which was one of the main reasons for the loss.

It's a minor observation; one that can easily be fixed in Week 2.

The Chargers Are Not To Be Underestimated

There are good teams, and then there are great teams. But how do we separate the two when there is such a fine line?

A good team can put points on the board and possess a few playmakers, and can otherwise remain competitive for 16 full games.

A great team has players who become playmakers throughout each game and can lift themselves above a losing effort through patience and in-game adjustments.

A great team can not only put up points, they can also put up enough points to win within said losing effort.

The Chargers traditionally start slow, but they proved that they are not to be taken lightly Even with their superstar receivers being removed from the equation in this contest, they were still able to overcome pending defeat.

The Vikings Showed Promise

Here were the positives:

• The Vikings were able to maintain a lead against a very good Chargers team.
• The Vikings were able to move the ball, despite limited offensive opportunities.
• The Vikings defense was able to keep the Chargers neutralized, and off-kilter

Here were the negatives:

• The Vikings did not adjust, and because of which, failed to hang onto their lead.
• The Vikings showed that they limited downfield options, which kept the playbook closed.
• The Vikings couldn't protect the QB at all.
• Unless McNabb makes something out of nothing, he will wind up being a huge bust by Week 3

So what happens when you put this all together?

The Vikings did exactly what they intended to do—run the offense through Adrian Peterson.

That successful aspect was overshadowed by the fact that the Vikings receivers couldn't get separation off the line, which limited any idea of downfield play action and keeping the offense limited.

The Vikings defense could've easily won this game for the team, had it not been for the fact that they were on the field way too much and defensive coordinator Fred Pagac's lack of in-game adjustments.

But after the smoke cleared, the fact remains that this Vikings team did not look half as bad as many thought they were going to look against one of the best teams in the NFL.

And that is a healthy observation; one that has the arrow slightly facing up.

The Vikings may have lost this contest, but they showed a great deal of promise. If they can effectively tweak a few things here and there, the Vikings can easily be one of the most surprising teams in the NFL this season.