When Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh took the field on Thursday to lead his team against the Minnesota Vikings, no one knew how ugly the matchup was about to get for the purple and gold.
In 2022, the Vikings passed on hiring Harbaugh as their new head coach in favor of Kevin O'Connell. On Thursday, Harbaugh made sure Minnesota regretted that decision by helping Los Angeles hand the Vikings an insanely embarrassing loss.
Minnesota walked off the field on Thursday with an abysmal 37-10 defeat to bring their record this season to a disappointing 3-4. The Vikings already had plenty of unanswered questions heading into Week 8, and after their performance on Thursday, they created a whole new batch of questions to answer before they return to the field on November 2nd.
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh makes the Minnesota Vikings pay for passing on him in 2022
Heading into Thursday, many believed the matchup between Minnesota and Los Angeles would at least be competitive. Both teams have already been ravaged by injuries this season, but both have shown the fight to still remain competitive in just about every game they've played in this year.
Clearly, Harbaugh and the Chargers had other plans for their Week 8 contest with the Vikings.
After a pick-six by Minnesota cornerback Isaiah Rodgers was called back in the opening quarter, the Chargers went on to score 21 points in the first half while also holding the Vikings to just three points in the first two quarters.
The second half was slightly better for Minnesota, as they put together a touchdown drive in the third quarter to cut Los Angeles's lead to 24-10. Unfortunately, the Vikings didn't add any more points after that. Instead, the Chargers continued to increase their lead, and it ultimately resulted in Minnesota leaving the field with a 24-point loss.
The Vikings now have more than a week to prepare for a gigantic road matchup against the Detroit Lions that could potentially alter the rest of their season. But based on what Minnesota put out on the field on Thursday, the extra time they have to prepare for Week 9 might not even be enough.