Why Chargers' Kimani Vidal is winning RB depth chart battle with Hassan Haskins

Billy Heyen

Why Chargers' Kimani Vidal is winning RB depth chart battle with Hassan Haskins image

Frankly, nobody had any idea.

All everyone knew was that the Los Angeles Chargers were without Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton in Week 6 due to injury.

But whether it'd be Hassan Haskins or Kimani Vidal on Sunday leading the backfield, nobody knew.

Early on, it was all Vidal.

Of the first nine RB carries, Vidal got seven of them.

He had gone for 53 yards on those runs, too.

Haskins' first two carries went for two yards.

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Haskins seemed to be ahead of Vidal on the depth chart last week, and he's got the Michigan connection to head coach Jim Harbaugh.

But that doesn't always carry over once it's time for a new lead back.

The Chargers clearly like the explosiveness of the younger Vidal over the plodding nature of Haskins.

This early usage isn't a guarantee of anything, of course. The Chargers also have Nyheim Hines on the active roster, and he could play a role on third downs, too.

But it looks like Vidal has won this competition so far. It's a chance for him to grow his NFL career in a big way.

Sometimes, you have to seize your opportunity, and that's what Vidal is doing.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle