As the Los Angeles Chargers headed into Miami to face the Dolphins in Week 6, the team desperately needed a victory to get their season back on track after back-to-back brutal losses in Weeks 5 and 6.
Taking on the RB1 role due to the injury to Omarion Hampton that is set to keep him out for multiple weeks, backup running back Kimani Vidal had an excellent game, helping make the Chargers offense look functional for the first time in weeks.
On the day, Vidal had 18 carries for 124 yards coupled with three receptions for 14 yards and a touchdown, and, if even some semblance of this performance can continue until Hampton is back, the team may have found its solution to their pair of disastrous backfield absences.
Kimani Vidal could be the perfect player to slot in in Hampton's absence
Entering the season, with a seriously dangerous combination in Najee Harris and Hampton, Los Angeles was widely expected to lean heavily upon their run game under offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Yet, through the first few games of the season, the opposite proved to be true, and the Chargers offense suffered as a result.
Even following Hampton's injury, the team largely refused to grant touches to either Vidal or depth running back Hassan Haskins, instead leaving Hampton to take on virtually all of the touches himself.
Of course, just one game after Hampton's breakout, 128-yard performance against the New York Giants, he suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him for the end of the game against the Washington Commanders and will now keep him out for at least four weeks as he was placed on the injury reserve.
Yet, against Miami, the Chargers desperately needed to take advantage of their run game. The Dolphins have posted the worst run defense in the league to this point in the season, allowing opponents an average of 174.2 rushing yards per game heading into Sunday's matchup.
While they were facing a struggling defense, Vidal's ability to read the openings through the offensive line and also take on his routes out of the backfield showed great promise for his capacity to continue to be the RB1 over the next few weeks.
Moreover, when Hampton does ultimately return, the team will need to carve out a definitive RB2 role in order to give the rookie support in the massive workload he will be expected to take on, and Vidal's performance in this span could help solve that issue as well.