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By BERNIE WILSON, AP Sports Writer
      


SAN DIEGO (AP) - The San Diego Chargers spoke during training
camp about avoiding the slow starts that had haunted them in the
first four seasons of coach Norv Turner's tenure.


      Then they went out and fell behind the Minnesota Vikings 17-7 at
halftime on Sunday, drawing the usual early-season boos from their
fair-weather fans.


      With the Vikings sputtering badly, Philip Rivers got the opening
he'd been waiting for all afternoon. He threw a 19-yard touchdown
pass to fullback Mike Tolbert with 5:01 to play to lift the
Chargers to a 24-17 win on Sunday.


      Tolbert's third TD of the afternoon eased the sting of Rivers'
two interceptions and Percy Harvin returning the opening kickoff
103 yards for a touchdown.


      "It's big," Rivers said. "We'd love not to have those
interceptions, and we'd love to have that kickoff back and just let
it be smooth and easy, but it's these kind of wins that you really
grow. You grow more than a week."


      The victory appeared to come at a cost, though. Kicker Nate
Kaeding hurt the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and
could be lost for the season. He's scheduled to have an MRI exam on
Monday. Also, defensive end Luis Castillo limped off with a knee
injury.


      Kaeding was hurt on the opening kickoff. Punter Mike Scifres
took on placekicking duties for the first time since college.


      "When we face adversity, we don't curl up and call it quits,"
said Scifres, a nine-year veteran who signed a $19 million contract
extension Wednesday.


      On the winning play, Rivers rolled left and waited for Tolbert
to get open inside the 5-yard line, then lobbed the pass.


      "The protection was great, so I had time to step up, step up,
and then to get out of the pocket, he was hanging with me," Rivers
said. "He was looking at me like, 'Are you going to run it or
throw it?' I would prefer to throw it.'


      Rivers completed 33 of 48 passes for 335 yards and was
intercepted twice.


      Tolbert also scored on a 7-yard run in the third quarter and had
a 1-yard TD catch in the first quarter.


      "We were hyped even when were down 17-7," said Tolbert, who
had stars shaved into his hair to commemorate the 10th anniversary
of 9/11. "Nobody had their head down and said, 'Here we go again.'"
      

Minnesota led 17-7 at halftime, but gained only 26 yards on 17
plays in the second half. Their new quarterback, Donovan McNabb,
struggled against San Diego's defense and was only 7 of 15 for 39
yards, with one touchdown and one interception.


      "It's embarrassing to have the numbers that we had, whatever we
had," McNabb said. "I can do that in one series and we'll get
them corrected."


      Adrian Peterson, who set the NFL single-game record with 296
yards against San Diego as a rookie in 2007, was held to 98 yards
on 16 carries one day after signing a contract extension
potentially worth $100 million.


      "We really had some opportunities and felt we ran the ball
pretty well in the first half," Peterson said. "We didn't get
anything going in the second half. We have to get our passing game
going better."


      Chargers linebacker Takeo Spikes said he heard that Peterson
said during the week that he was going to rush for 200 yards and
the Vikings would win.


      "We really felt disrespected," Spikes said. "


      San Diego's rally included Tolbert bulling in from the 7 early
to cap the first drive of the third quarter, and Scifres kicking
his first NFL field goal, a 40-yarder with 10:05 left that tied the
game at 17. Scifres also had three PATs.


      The game had a crazy first few minutes.
      Harvin returned the opening kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown,
showing that the Chargers hadn't fully erased their special teams
nightmare of 2010, which cost them a playoff berth.


      On the Vikings' first play from scrimmage, Chargers outside
linebacker Shaun Phillips deflected McNabb's pass and intercepted
it at the 6-yard line. Three plays later, Rivers found Tolbert wide
open for a 1-yard scoring pass to tie it.


      Ryan Longwell kicked a 33-yard field goal for the Vikings in the
second quarter, and then Peterson finally got going with a 46-yard
run. Chargers safety Eric Weddle, who signed a $40 million contract
in the summer, had an arm around Peterson's right foot at about the
40, but the running back broke free and raced to the 3. McNabb then
threw a TD pass to Michael Jenkins for a 17-7 lead.


      Rivers overthrew a wide-open Vincent Jackson on what would have
been a sure touchdown pass late in the second quarter that would
have made it 17-14. Rivers stood with his hands on his head after
the play.

Gallery

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Viking Shiancoe's hamstring 'out of the oven'

Sports

Minnesota led 17-7 at halftime, but gained only 26 yards on 17
plays in the second half.

Vikings blow halftime lead, lose to Chargers 24-17

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