Chargers dominate in rebound

Coming off disappointing loss to Colts, they put it all together in a 37-10 rout of Vikings

- By Sam FARMER

THE CHARGERS' Elijah Molden (2) and Denzel Perryman celebrate a big play.

The offense topped 30 points for the first time all season.

The defense went from rattled to relentless.

And the special teams?

The Chargers kicked three field goals in their 37-0 rout of Minnesota on Thursday night, but it’s what they didn’t do that was most resounding.

For the first time in four years, the Chargers didn’t punt.

What a turnaround for a team that was embarrassed on its home field four days earlier.

“They just set their minds to it that they weren't going to be denied,” said Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, whose team pulled out of a tailspin in dramatic fashion after losing three of their previous four games.

The wire-to-wire win was sweet redemption for a Chargers defense that faltered ina big way Sunday in 38-24 loss to Indianapolis.

Thursday night, before a national audience, Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz was drowning in a sea of navy-blue-clad defenders, the Chargers sacking him five times, rarely allowing him to set up in the pocket, and finally inspiring him to fling his helmet in frustration on the Minnesota sideline.

“We were just having guys stay fresh and rolling through and just calling the right calls,” linebacker Troy Dye said. “It’s easy when you can drop seven or eight guys and only have to bring four. It’s a fun time to play like that.”