EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Six weeks ago, Kimani Vidal’s NFL future was uncertain.
The Los Angeles Chargers had left the second-year running back off their initial 53-man roster on cutdown day in late August. They signed Najee Harris in free agency. They drafted Omarion Hampton in the first round. Veteran Hassan Haskins provided more special teams value. And so Vidal, one year after being drafted by the Chargers in the sixth round, was the odd man out at the position. Vidal had rushed for 2.76 yards per carry on 25 attempts in three preseason games. He missed the final preseason game with an injury.
After a conversation with general manager Joe Hortiz, Vidal was convinced to sign with the Chargers practice squad, where he spent the first five weeks of this season.
Now, as the Chargers turn to a pivotal Week 7 matchup against the surging Indianapolis Colts, Vidal appears to have carved out an integral role in the offense — both in the near and long term.
Circumstances change quickly in the NFL. That is the nature of the business. Harris is out for the season after tearing his Achilles. Hampton is on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Vidal got his chance to play Sunday in a 29-27 win over the Dolphins, and he exploded for a career game — 138 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 21 touches. Vidal’s previous career high in scrimmage yards was 51.
“To see a guy get his opportunity, seize that opportunity and make the most of it,” coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday, “nothing but respect.”
The Chargers needed an answer at running back, and Vidal provided it. With injuries along the offensive line, the Chargers started their fifth- and sixth-string tackles against the Dolphins — Austin Deculus on the left side and Bobby Hart on the right. Miami has a dangerous group of edge rushers. The Chargers had to avoid disadvantageous downs and distances. To do that and prevent mismatches on the edges, the Chargers had to get their run game going.
Vidal, with 124 rushing yards on 18 carries, allowed the Chargers to play within a favorable game plan. The Dolphins entered the game with one of the worst run defenses in the league, and the Chargers capitalized on that weakness. Vidal ran behind some excellent blocking from the Chargers’ offensive line, tight ends and receivers.
On a 38-yard Vidal rush in the first quarter, tight ends Will Dissly and Tucker Fisk walled off a huge hole to the left edge, with receiver Tre’ Harris sealing the cornerback to that side. On a 27-yarder in the third quarter, Vidal again attacked the left edge, with Deculus, Fisk, Harris and tight end Orande Gadsden all executing pinpoint blocks.
“Really just to showcase my talents,” Vidal said of his mindset entering the game.
Vidal’s performance stretched beyond simply following quality blocking. He also created explosive runs when the blocking was muddy in front of him. On a 19-yard rush in the second quarter, Vidal broke a tackle attempt from Dolphins edge rusher Matthew Judon, accelerated into the open field to the right and gained extra yardage with a subtle stop-start move on safety Ashtyn Davis. On a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter, Vidal found space to the left edge with a lightning-quick jump cut, escaping what was a solid run fit from the Dolphins’ front seven.
Vidal used being cut, a low moment in his football career, as motivation.
“It’s a high-level competitor, it’s a high-level mindset of a person that doesn’t get discouraged,” Harbaugh said. “’Ah, I didn’t do this, or they got this back, or they didn’t keep me on the 53.’ His mindset was good. That makes me work harder, train better, listen more, and he’s really good at all those things, but you could just see it amp up, not flinch one bit and just work on getting better each day. … There was never a word said by him. He was saying everything by what he did.”
Kimani Vidal was cut in August but stuck with the Chargers’ practice squad and delivered a career day Sunday. (Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
Vidal earned opportunities as a rookie when the Chargers dealt with injuries at running back. Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins missed time at various points in the season. There were flashes from Vidal, most notably a 30-yard touchdown reception in his NFL debut in Week 6. But Vidal was not reliable in pass protection, and that limited his playing time.
Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15, Vidal allowed four pressures in pass protection. On the season, he allowed six pressures on 14 pass-blocking snaps. He struggled to diagnose blitzers, and when he was in position, he did not have the physicality to match up with linebackers.
On Sunday, Vidal looked like a dramatically improved pass protector. He had one missed assignment in the third quarter, when he did not pick up linebacker Jordyn Brooks on a blitz through the B gap. Otherwise, Vidal was seeing and reading the pressure looks far more consistently, and he was able to prevent hits on Justin Herbert on multiple occasions.
“He’s done such a great job of listening and understanding what we’re asking of him,” Herbert said of Vidal.
Vidal also added value as a chipper when helping the tackles.
“What’s been standing out has been his preparation over the last year, year and a half since he’s been with us,” Harbaugh said. “The attention to detail, the focus, the training, the competitive mindset that he has, the kind of shape that he’s gotten himself into. He’s become a real pro.”
Vidal’s performance Sunday could change how the Chargers approach the running back market ahead of November’s trade deadline. Hampton must miss at least three more games. When Hampton does return, the Chargers will need a second back to pair with him.
Before Vidal broke out, it felt inevitable that the Chargers would make a move for a running back.
The calculus has changed. The back to carry them until Hampton returns might already be on the roster. The back to pair with Hampton for the home stretch might already be on the roster.
Vidal must string together good performances against better competition. The Dolphins’ defense ranks 31st in expected points added per designed rush, according to TruMedia. The Colts’ defense ranks 12th.
Still, Sunday was undoubtedly a statement from Vidal.
“For days, weeks, months, he’s been screaming, ‘Count on me,’” Harbaugh said. “And the way he played in this game, it was very loud.”
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