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Why the Chargers Resilient Win in Miami Caught the Eye of NFL Pundits

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The Chargers are back in the win column.

After a thrilling, last-second victory over the Dolphins, the Bolts are now 4-2 and got back on track in dramatic fashion.

And their gritty performance, while being down a number of players, caught the eye of a number of pundits across the NFL world.

In his Week 6 takeaways, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer had high praise for the Bolts win considering who they were missing due to injury.

Breer wrote:

​​The Chargers' win in Miami may not look that great until you consider the circumstances. Let's start with the schedule, which had Los Angeles going to Brazil in Week 1, then to the East Coast in Weeks 4 and 6. Continue with the injuries, which had the Chargers playing with backup tackles, starting two rookies at receiver, and going without their top two running backs.

Even with all the injuries, the Bolts finished with 403 yards of offense and three interceptions with players stepping up in all areas.

With reinforcements potentially on the way in the coming weeks, Breer believes Sunday's win displayed the trademarks of a Jim Harbaugh coached team.

Breer wrote:

So where does Harbaugh's crew go from here? Well, they'll get Joe Alt back, but not Rashawn Slater. They'll get Omarion Hampton and Quentin Johnston, but not Najee Harris. And it's fair to say after Sunday that the team still has that Harbaugh edge.

That's even after losses to the Commanders and Giants that might've had some wondering.

Get an inside look at the postgame celebration from the Bolts 29-27 win over the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium! Presented by SoFi!

CBS Sports' John Breech also echoed a similar sentiment after the Week 6 victory.

The pundit gave the Chargers a ‘B grade’ for Sunday's win, one that saw contributions from many different avenues.

Breech wrote:

After playing sparingly through the first five weeks, Kimani Vidal was thrust into action on Sunday and he put on a show. Vidal ran through the Dolphins offense for 124 yards rushing and it was exactly what the Chargers needed. The Chargers' banged-up offensive line also deserves some credit for keeping Justin Herbert upright for most of the game. And of course, Herbert deserves a lot of credit for leading a game-winning drive in the final minute with the key play being a 42-yard pass to Ladd McConkey. This was a gutsy win by a Chargers team that simply refused to lose.

With Vidal in particular, he made the most of his first career start.

The 2024 sixth-round pick finished the day with 18 rushes for 124 yards to go along with three catches for 14 yards and a touchdown.

His stellar performance was led him to being one of CBS Sports' Jared Dubin's winners of Week 6.

Dubin wrote:

The Chargers' second-year running back had a breakout game in L.A.'s first week without either Omarion Hampton or Najee Harris. Vidal went for 124 yards on 18 carries, while also catching three passes for 14 yards and a touchdown. Initially expected to work behind the veteran Hassan Haskins, Vidal was instead the lead back for the Chargers and played a key role in their win over the Dolphins.

The Bolts now return to face a fellow AFC rival in the Colts as they open a two-game homestand at SoFi Stadium in Weeks 7 and 8.

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