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RECAP: Minnesota Vikings have big day on offense in road win over Los Angeles Chargers

Kirk Cousins threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns Sunday while Dalvin Cook rushed for 94 yards and the game-clinching first down in the Minnesota Vikings‘ 27-20 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Inglewood, Calif.

Cousins completed 25 of 37 passes for Minnesota (4-5), with Justin Jefferson catching nine passes for 143 yards. Cook scored on a 1-yard run with 9:29 left in the game, giving the Vikings a 27-17 lead.

Los Angeles drew within a possession when Dustin Hopkins converted a 24-yard field goal with 4:40 remaining, but Minnesota kept the ball for the game’s remainder. Cook powered for 4 yards on fourth-and-2 just before the 2-minute warning to seal the outcome.

Justin Herbert completed 20 of 34 passes for 195 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Chargers (5-4), which missed on a chance to take first place in the AFC West for at least a few hours. Kansas City and Las Vegas will settle that issue later Sunday.

The Vikings carved out a 381-253 advantage in total yards and controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes.

Minnesota initiated scoring 42 seconds into the second quarter when Greg Joseph connected on a 46-yard field goal. Hopkins evened the score less than three minutes later with his own 46-yarder.

Joseph hit from 30 with 6:42 left in the half to make it 6-3 Vikings. They followed with the game’s first touchdown with 3:26 remaining when Cousins and Tyler Conklin hooked up from 5 yards out.

But the Chargers finally found the end zone 90 seconds before halftime when Larry Rountree leaped over the top of the line for a 1-yard touchdown that capped a 75-yard drive. That pulled Los Angeles within 13-10 at intermission.

Austin Ekeler’s 2-yard reception from Herbert gave the Chargers their first lead at 17-13 with 10:40 left in the third quarter, but Minnesota took the lead for good on Cousins’ 4th-and-goal throw to a diving Conklin for a 1-yard touchdown at the 2:33 mark.

–Field Level Media

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