Chargers 28, Vikings 24
Q. Given the way the season started, what does the win mean?
A. Yeah, an important one, and I think it was important to finish it that way. It was a nail-biter, and we've played in three of them.
I think for our guys to come alive in all three phases in the fourth quarter and finish the game was really important. It was a team win, and I thought our guys really came through in the clutch, and we finished the game the way that we expect to.
Q. You talked a lot about the defense for the first few weeks. They got a goal line stand and had the field goal earlier, and then to finish the game like that, what does that say about the group and just their sticktoitiveness?
A. I really feel like this group likes playing together. I thought the group hung in there. There were a lot of momentum swings in the game, and with the third down penalties and some of the weird clock stoppages, fumble, no fumble, I thought our guys just really hung tough together.
Our red zone defense was outstanding. It won us the game, and I thought our third down defense was outstanding too. We had a couple of tough third down penalties, but I thought we rushed the quarterback well together, continued to build off that.
I think the last two weeks we've rushed the quarterback at a high level, but really building on our situational defense. I thought the two-minute defense at the end of the half and certainly the two-minute and then red zone defense at the end of the game I thought our guys really came together and played well.
Q. What went into going for it on fourth there late?
A. Just no timeouts, and it was less than a yard. We felt like we had the play to finish with the ball. We were protecting four points, not three, so that was part of my thought process.
I believe in our group. We came here to win, and that's what we were trying to do.
Q. Is that one of the wilder games you can remember with the end with the two deflections, the touchdown, and obviously the interception?
A. Yeah, the entire game was wild to me. There were just so, so many things in that game that happened that I think tested the patience of our team, I thought the connection of our team.
I think all three phases just really hung tough, and that's a good team over there, and they've had three thrillers too. So Kevin's group is going to fight.
It was just one of those big-time NFL games. It felt like a playoff game out there today, and I felt like our group really had their best at the end, especially on defense.
Q. Go back to the fourth down, how convincing was the math there for you to make that decision?
A. Convincing, yeah. The fact that he didn't have time-outs was important and the fact that it was less than a yard.
Q. Not that you're surprised by Justin, but just the way he played today and firing all over the field.
A. That defense really forced him to have a commanding performance. I mean, with the amount of pressure that was on him today, there was a lot of the zero pop-out pressure, and it was on him. For him to go 40 of 47 for 405 just shows you that he is one of the special players in the league. We needed that today.
I mean, his performance carried us through that third quarter when he got really hot, and the most important thing that he does is he takes care of the ball. No turnovers today from him in a game where he is getting blitzed almost every single play. There are very few quarterbacks who can do that.
I thought it was an outstanding offensive game plan, and I really felt like our group on offense hung tough today. It was a tough game, and we made a lot of big plays in the passing game today.
Q. What did they say to you at the end, your challenge at the end of the first half? Take us through that.
A. Basically they said that because the ball didn't come out immediately that it wasn't a fumble, so...
Q. Did they rule forward progress?
A. You get the opportunity to do the official thing afterward, and I look forward to your correspondence with him.
Q. Keenan's touchdown pass that looked like Palmer and Williams were open. He almost sort of froze the safety there for a second. It's his first career completion, I think. He made it look pretty easy.
A. Yeah, it was atonement. Those that have been covering the team, a few years ago we ran it against Kansas City. A little atonement there for an incompletion.
Keenan really throws a good football, but we've been working on that play. I'm excited for Keenan because it capped one of those maestro performances for him. A career game. A record-setting game. Again, when your best players play like that in a big game, it gives you a chance. Keenan and Justin were fantastic in the game today.
Q. What went into the decision for J.C. Jackson to be inactive for this one?
A. Just the coach's decision. We felt like this was the right group for this game and really nothing more than that.
Q. Is he going to have an opportunity to get back in the rotation?
A. It's to be determined.
Q. (Question about J.C Jackson).
A. Just we felt like going into this game that this was the group that we wanted to play with in this game. Felt like it was going to give us the best chance. That's what we did today.
And I was really proud of the way our defense played today, especially the secondary. You know, we had Derwin go out there, and our guys really competed today against a good offensive group, and that group really brought us home at the end of the game.
Q. Do you have any updates on Mike?
A. No updates on Mike yet.
Q. Derwin (indiscernible). He looked frustrated when he left the field.
A. He was frustrated because he led with his shoulder, and he is frustrated because he's making the right football play, so that's why he is frustrated.
If you know Derwin, Derwin is one of the outstanding competitors we have. A guy that does it right, sportsmanship, the whole thing, and he was just frustrated.
Q. How do you feel like Tuli played?
A. Yeah, good observation. I think you and I talked about it during training camp that we felt like he had a chance, but he just does a lot of things that winning edge players do. He can rush the passers. He is rugged in the run game. We can move him around. He has a big-time motor. You see that motor get him to a lot of the plays. He has been around the quarterback a lot this year. We're going to continue to need him to step up in that way.
Q. Did you guys anticipate that his strength would translate this quickly in terms of how he is rushing and tackling?
A. I felt like when we got him in pads, we felt like he had the snap in his hands. He has quick hands. They get on you quick, and they're heavy.
So his best football is ahead of him. There's still a lot for him to learn, a lot for him to improve on, but he is making plays out there.
Q. You mentioned maestro performance for Keenan What allowed him to do what he did today?
A. Just that chemistry with him and Justin. The ability for Kellen and our offensive staff to formulate things to get him in premium positions and to allow him to make a lot of decision type routes that make him really tough to defend. He just is so good at understanding leverage and attacking different coverages.
Today you need a guy like him that's a security blanket for the quarterback when there's that much pressure. He was just fantastic. He was good running with the ball after the catch. You know, level one, level two, cut, threw a pass. It was one of those complete performances and part of Chargers history today.
Q. Obviously the plan today was to put a bunch of bodies on Justin Jefferson doubling him a lot. How did you feel like the plan was executed? Obviously there was the one touchdown and missed tackle.
A. We were trying. We were trying to mix it up. Like I said, there's a reason why he is so productive. I mean, everyone is trying to engineer their thing around him.
I thought our guys competed. I thought he had to beat us today, and that's what we wanted was for him to have to beat us. I think what our group did today is they hung tough. That group in the secondary today hung tough, and they played their best in the red zone.
I love the way we played on third down as well outside of a couple of penalties that I think we can learn from, but I think we can build on this performance, and hats off to Justin. He is a hell of a player.
Q. You're going to face quite a bit of public backlash over that fourth down decision. How do you explain just the motivation for doing that, and have you been affected at all by how people react to some of the decisions that are a little bit unconventional?
A. If I would have been affected, we wouldn't have gone for it. We would have punted it. It was fourth down and less than a yard. They had no time-outs, and I believe in our offense. I belive in our offensive line, our tight ends, our quarterback.
I felt like we had a good play for what they would be in. It didn't go down. We were protecting four points, not three. Again, if it was a three-point game, it would have been a different decision.
I felt like the defense could play the way they did down the stretch, and again, I've got full confidence in our group. It's your job as a head coach to make sure your team knows you have belief in them. I think we came here to win. It was a tough road game against a team that made the playoffs, so we were trying to go win the game, and I make no apologies for that.
Q. Did you think about a sneak there?
A. Of course.
Q. Why not? Was it a look what they were doing in front?
A. Yes.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports