INGLEWOOD — Justin Herbert had the football and the Chargers’ future in his hands on a first-down play from his own 16-yard line Sunday at SoFi Stadium. They had generated nothing of note offensively to that point, in the dying minutes of the first quarter, dredging up some painful memories.

Herbert dropped to pass, saw nothing that suited him and so he took off sprinting from the pocket. Suddenly, he was in the clear, with nothing but open artificial turf ahead of him along the right sideline and with only the roar of a crowd to accompany him on what proved to be a game-changing scramble.

In the final analysis, Herbert’s career-long 38-yard run ignited the Chargers’ lackluster offense and propelled it to a 26-8 victory over the reeling and injury-depleted New Orleans Saints. Who knows what might have happened if he didn’t run, if he settled for throwing the ball away?

“One play like that can change the direction of a game,” Herbert said.

Indeed.

Running turned out to be the correct decision, one of many Herbert would make in leading the Chargers (4-3) past the Saints (2-6). By game’s end, he completed 20 of 32 passes for 279 yards and touchdown passes of 60 and 9 yards to wide receiver Ladd McConkey and he also ran four times for 49 yards.

“It’s like being around greatness every day,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said of Herbert, whose mobility appeared to have returned in full after he sprained his right ankle during a victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 and aggravated it during a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3..

McConkey, a second-round draft pick from the University of Georgia, caught six passes for 111 yards, becoming the first Chargers rookie with 100 yards or more receiving since Keenan Allen in the 2013 season. McConkey is the fourth Chargers rookie with 100-plus yards and two touchdowns since 1970.

Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack, a 10-year veteran, was impressed.

“Man, he had a hell of a day,” Mack said of McConkey, whose previous best was five receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown in the Chargers’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4. “He’s a hell of a player. It was only a matter of time before he was able to break out and kind of do his thing. I’m proud of him.”

J.K. Dobbins rushed for 57 yards and a 1-yard touchdown on 17 carries.

Cameron Dicker kicked field goals of 46 and 29 yards.

The Chargers’ defense handled the rest, giving up only two field goals.

“It was a solid day,” Mack said. “There was a lot of stuff to get better at, which is encouraging, especially after a win. Just got to build on that and keep stacking days. I told Derek (Carr) after the game, ‘Man, I’m glad you didn’t play, but if you were in the (game) we was going to get after you.’”

Carr, the Saints’ starting quarterback, couldn’t play because of an oblique injury, so Spencer Rattler got the start. Rattler failed to move the offense adequately, so New Orleans turned to Jake Haener, who led a late drive in the third quarter that yielded the second of Blake Grupe’s field goals.

The Chargers led the Saints by 9-5 by halftime, an usual score befitting an unusual first half. The Chargers were victimized by some uncharacteristic special teams mistakes. A bad snap resulted in a safety and an early 2-0 deficit. Dicker then missed the extra point after Dobbins’ TD run.

Dobbins’ scoring run with 1:37 left in the half ended a seven-quarter drought without a touchdown, dating to their 23-16 victory Oct. 13 over the Denver Broncos. McConkey’s 60-yard catch and run was the Chargers’ first second-half TD since their season-opening win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

McConkey’s first touchdown gave the Chargers a 16-5 lead in the third quarter.

His second one made it 26-8 in the fourth.

The teams traded field goals between his scores.

Dicker had accounted for all of the Chargers’ points in their 17-15 loss to the Arizona Cardinals last Monday night, kicking five field goals. But the Chargers’ wide receivers held what they termed an accountability meeting after the game, believing they could have done better.

“I feel like this game was maybe not necessarily a must-win game,” McConkey said of Sunday’s game against the Saints. “(But) we wanted to go out and we wanted to get back on the right track. Last week, five field goals. We needed to score (touchdowns on Sunday), so to be able to do that this week was huge.”