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San Diego's Antonio Cromartie scored on a 109-yard return of a missed field goal on the last play of Sunday's first half. Vikings rookie Adrian (All Day) Peterson followed with a 64-yard touchdown run on the first series of the second half.

Still, midway through the third period, this was mostly a mess of an NFL game, thanks largely to the shocking incompetence of San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers, and the predictable flag-throwing exuberance of referee Mike Carey and his crew.

Tarvaris Jackson, the Vikings starting quarterback, had been knocked out on the last series of the first half. He wasn't quite as inept as Rivers, although it was close.

Brooks Bollinger replaced Jackson and now was starting his third series of the second half. The Vikings were at their 19 and suddenly there was an approach to football that must have put a twinkle in Murray Warmath's 94-year-old eyes.

Peterson smashed over right guard for 6 yards. Peterson went around right end for 10 yards. Peterson went to the left side for 13 yards.

Chester Taylor came in and fought for a 7-yard gain. Peterson returned and pounded the middle for 5 yards.

The Chargers lost Luis Castillo, their best end, from the left side in the third quarter. They lost Quentin Jammer, their tough-tackling cornerback, in the first half.

Now, the Chargers were being gaffed by the rush and the body language said the defenders realized there was nothing they could do about it. Even Shawne Merriman, the ballyhooed linebacker, was standing passively between plays, waiting for the next Peterson fastball or Taylor changeup.

And once the big men punched a gap in the Chargers' 3-4 alignment, the pursuing linebackers and D-backs were forced to contend with a fierce-blocking collection of receivers.

"The thing that really stood out [on tape] watching the offensive side was how the wide receivers got after it," coach Brad Childress said Monday. "I'm talking about mounting people and cutting people and clawing people. They were really a tenacious outfit, and it takes a toll."

If the Vikings receivers were involved in all those actions, it could explain why the San Diego defenders were so tentative.

The guess here is that it had more to do with having no idea how to deal with young Mr. Peterson.

The Chargers were so All-Day conscious by the time the Vikings reached San Diego's 40 that Bollinger didn't even have to fake a handoff to Peterson to sell a run.

Sidney Rice was running open behind corner Drayton Florence and Bollinger dropped a touchdown pass into the rookie receiver's hands.

This was offense as drawn up by the Cowboys of the '90s: Emmitt Smith, Emmitt Smith, Emmitt Smith, play action to Smith and over the top to Michael Irvin or Alvin Harper.

The Chargers looked beaten as Peterson and Taylor crunched them for 41 yards in five carries to start that third possession of the second half. And then the mere notion that Peterson might be getting the ball again enabled the Vikings to go over the top for a 21-14 lead.

Childress was asked Monday about the ability to finish four TD drives worth 250 yards in the second half and said: "We talk about exerting your will on somebody else, and it all starts with the offensive line. I think there is a turning point somewhere where somebody else knows they are having their will taken from them."

Childress is halfway through his second season and has not often seen his team impose its will on an opponent. There was optimism at the start in 2006, when the Vikings won at Seattle to reach 4-2. Sunday's victory was only the fifth in 18 games since then.