“It Takes More Than Talk” says Khalil Mack as Chargers defense seeks to bounce back against Vikings

LOS ANGELES -- Thursday night is an important game for the Los Angeles Chargers. It might sound like an overreaction, but this feels like a season-defining matchup.

The Chargers currently sit at 4-3 and in second place in the AFC West. However, they’ve lost three of their last four games, and their defense seems to have forgotten how to carry the load.

Last season, it felt like the defense kept the team in games by playing a “bend-don’t-break” style — but that identity is gone, at least for now.

Safety Derwin James said after the game, “We played like shit.”

James is one of the players who’s always truthful when needed — and as the leader of the defense, his words carry weight.

Edge rusher Khalil Mack agreed with James after their 38-24 loss to the Colts, a game in which the Chargers allowed five touchdowns between Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor — including two untouched scores by Taylor.

"We're not where we want to be. We've had a couple rough games in a row,” defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said. “I always look at myself first, always have, always will. I think everybody, to a man, on our side of the ball would say we all need to be better. It's really that simple."

That theme has been consistent over the past four weeks. The Chargers have allowed touchdowns to Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, De’Von Achane, and Taylor — all of them coming untouched.

"It ain't no panic,” Mack said. “The belief system is there, the foundation is laid, you know what we want to accomplish as a unit and as a team and so when you fighting for that nothing else matters."

Injuries have certainly played a role. Da’Shawn Hand is on IR with a groin injury, Denzel Perryman has missed time, Daiyan Henley has been dealing with an illness, and safety Elijah Molden has been in and out of the lineup.

While not as severe as the offensive injuries, the defensive unit has still been hit hard — something that’s derailed their seasons in the past.

Mack himself missed four games due to an elbow injury that initially looked serious enough to keep him out for most of the season. Instead, he returned after a month, playing 12 snaps in his comeback game — even recording a sack on Jones. He’s looking to ramp things up on Thursday, which this defense desperately needs.

"It's obvious,” Mack said. “I want to be out there 1st, 2nd, through 3rd and 4th down."

The Vikings will start Carson Wentz at quarterback for the fifth time this season. His results have been mixed — the team is 2-2 with him under center, and he’s completed 67% of his passes for 1,072 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions.

The Chargers will need Mack, Odafe Oweh, and Tuli Tuipulotu at their best, as Wentz is prone to mistakes. He threw two interceptions against the Eagles due to heavy pressure — and they dropped a few more. He will turn the ball over if pressured consistently.

One of the biggest issues in Sunday’s loss was how easily the Colts’ play action fooled the defense. Jones repeatedly found open targets like tight end Ty Warren and receivers downfield.

“You can't block destruct when your eyes aren't right,” James said. “You're not seeing the target to block destruct."

Expect Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell to study the Colts’ offensive tape and try to replicate their approach — especially since he has a dangerous backfield and receiving corps to work with.

Running back Jordan Mason has quietly put together a strong season, averaging 4.5 yards per carry with four rushing touchdowns. The Vikings also boast star receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, along with tight end T.J. Hockenson.

That’s a lot of firepower — and with the way the Chargers’ defense has been playing, play action could once again give them trouble.

"It all starts with the eyes man,” James said. “We clean that up, we'll be fine."

The past few weeks haven’t been pretty. The defense has spent time looking inward, trying to fix what’s gone wrong. Both James and Mack — the leaders of this unit — know this isn’t who they are.

They’ve shown what they can be: the defense that closed out games against the Chiefs, Raiders, and Broncos by making critical stops in crunch time.

"It put a bad taste in everybody's mouth, so you got that sense of how bad we want this next one,” Mack said. “At times like this, it takes more than just talk. It takes a little more action. Just want to see a lot more action-based things at this pivotal time of the season."

Actions need to speak louder than words on Thursday night. The Chiefs appear to be turning things around, and the Broncos just pulled off a 33-point comeback against the New York Giants.

The offense has its own issues, but if the Chargers are going to rebound, it has to start with the defense. The pass rush needs to disrupt the quarterback, the linebackers must fill gaps more effectively, and the secondary must stop leaving receivers wide open.

That last issue has haunted them all season — with Travis Kelce, Courtland Sutton, Alec Pierce, Jaylen Waddle, and Luke McCaffrey all burning them for big plays.

The Vikings’ explosive offense presents another major test, and how the Chargers defense responds will be telling.

Yes, the offense needs to do its part — but it starts with the defense. James and Mack have repeatedly said they want to get the ball back into Justin Herbert’s hands through takeaways. That needs to be their identity again.

They have to rediscover the hungry, aggressive defense that flew around making plays, forcing turnovers, sacking quarterbacks, and giving their offense extra chances.

If the Chargers are going to bounce back, it starts with the defense.

“Get back to what got us here, trusting in the fundamentals,” James said. “And not everybody feel like they got to make that big play, that big splash play, and just get back to the basics. I feel like we do that with the right attitude, the right mindset, and I feel like we'll be right.”