FIRST QUARTER

Chargers 7, Vikings 7

Key plays: Special-teams plays set up a TD for each team. Antonio Cromartie tipped a punt, forcing it to travel just 25 yards, and the Chargers drove 53 yards for a touchdown. But Aundrae Allison returned the ensuing kickoff 62 yards, meaning Minnesota had to travel just 39 yards to tie the game.

Key stat: As expected, the Chargers didn't have much success running the ball, with LaDainian Tomlinson limited to 19 yards on seven attempts (although he did score on a 1-yard run).

Not in the box score: Rookie Legedu Naanee made the first two catches of his career on the Chargers' touchdown drive, taking a screen pass 22 yards and then pulling down a 17-yard pass on third-and-12 (and taking a big hit from E.J. Henderson).

SECOND QUARTER

Chargers 14, Vikings 7

Key play: Is there any doubt? Cromartie bailed out the Chargers with the longest play in NFL history – a 109-yard return of Ryan Longwell's missed 57-yard field goal. Cromartie made a spectacular catch, raced up the middle, cut to the right and breezed to the other end zone.

Key stat: There were eight punts in the quarter – four by each team – compared with six first downs. The Chargers had only one first down and gained 13 yards on 14 offensive plays. They finished the half with 91 yards to 140 for Minnesota.

Not in the box score: Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson was knocked out of game, literally, with 31 seconds remaining when he was hit inadvertently in the head by Shawne Merriman's left knee at the end of a 10-yard run.

THIRD QUARTER

Vikings 21, Chargers 14

Key plays: The teams traded fumbles, including one by Minnesota inside the San Diego 5, but the big plays were made by the Vikings offense. Adrian Peterson raced 64 yards to tie the game early in the period, and later Brooks Bollinger threw a 40-yard TD pass to Sidney Rice, who beat Drayton Florence badly.

Key stat: Peterson rushed for 107 yards in the quarter, giving him 150 for the game. The Chargers finished the quarter with 158 yards in the game – and 66 came in the final three minutes.

Not in the box score: The Chargers lost their second defender of the day when Luis Castillo suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury. Earlier, Quentin Jammer left with a pulled hamstring.

FOURTH QUARTER

Vikings 35, Chargers 17

Key plays: Philip Rivers missed his third potential TD pass early in the period, but it hardly seemed as if it mattered the way the Vikings ran all over the Chargers defense. Minnesota rushed for 192 yards in the fourth quarter alone, averaging 12.8 per carry. Peterson had 146 yards in the final period and an NFL all-time best 296 in the game.

Key stat: The Vikings finished with 378 rushing yards, the most in their history and the most ever against the Chargers. Incredibly, 311 yards came in the second half, just 2 fewer than Minnesota's previous record for a game.

Not in the box score: The fact the day ended with San Diego tied for first place in the horribly inept AFC West, where the four teams all lost by a combined score of 136-63.