LOS ANGELES _ The Los Angeles Chargers returned home for the first time in six weeks Sunday and brought with them a familiar ailment, one that has haunted their 2019 season.
They turned the ball over seven times in a 39-10 loss to Minnesota, falling to 5-9 and ensuring the first losing record in Anthony Lynn's three years as head coach.
Philip Rivers was intercepted three times _ Nos. 16, 17 and 18 on the season _ and also lost his third fumble. Melvin Gordon lost two fumbles and was benched for a stretch after the second early in the third quarter.
Tight end Hunter Henry had the other fumble as the Chargers allowed the Vikings to start five possessions on the L.A. side of midfield.
The lopsided result marked the first time the Chargers have lost by more than one score since being eliminated from the playoffs 41-28 by New England in January.
What turned out to be the Chargers' last chance ended on a failed fourth down to start the final quarter with the score 25-10.
After advancing inside the Minnesota 10-yard line and facing a second down, the offense stalled with an incompletion, sack and false start on Trent Scott.
Rivers then threw in the direction of Mike Williams on fourth down from the 15-yard line, but the pass fell incomplete.
The Chargers actually had a chance to take the lead late in the second quarter before a bizarre and symbolic sequence of events instead saw them fall further behind.
Facing second-and-two at the Minnesota 26-yard line, Rivers fumbled when he was sacked by defensive end Danielle Hunter.
Austin Ekeler was first to retrieve the bounding ball but he, too, couldn't hold on to it. The Vikings' Ifeadi Odenigbo picked it up and ran 56 yards for a touchdown.
The Chargers went from looking to reverse a 12-10 deficit to trailing 19-10, and the situation was made even worse when left tackle Russell Okung suffered a groin injury on the play and did not return.
Then, on their next offensive snap _ the first of the third quarter _ Gordon fumbled, gifting the Vikings (10-4) another scoring opportunity.
The Chargers defense tightened up, forcing a field goal but the deficit swelled to 22-10.
The Chargers' touchdown came on a Rivers-to-Williams two-yard connection in the second quarter.
Williams, who is 6-foot-4, went over cornerback Mike Hughes, who's 5-10, for his second touchdown in as many weeks.
The Chargers limited Minnesota's star running back Dalvin Cook to 27 yards on nine carries before he left the game in the third quarter because of a shoulder injury.
But that effort didn't matter with the Chargers losing the turnover battle 7-1.
