Chargers stand between Raiders and playoffs
The Raiders and Chargers last met Oct. 4 on “Monday Night Football,” when their respective seasons were filled with promise.
The Raiders were unbeaten, having won their first three games to seize command of the AFC West. The Chargers were 2-1 after a road victory over the rival Chiefs.
The winner Sunday in the rematch will qualify for the NFL’s postseason and salvage the optimism that was there earlier this season.
Same fierce rivalry. Slightly different stakes.
The Raiders fell 28-14 to their division rival that night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Jon Gruden roamed the sideline and Henry Ruggs was the leading receiver.
Burgeoning superstar quarterback Justin Herbert helped the Chargers secure an early 21-0 lead, but the Raiders roared back with 14 points in the third quarter. A missed field goal preceded a 10-play, 58-yard drive that would conclude with a touchdown for the Chargers.
Herbert passed for 223 yards and three touchdowns, teammate Austin Ekeler rushed 15 times for 117 yards and a score. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr passed for 196 yards — his fewest in a game this season.
They’ll run it back Sunday night at Allegiant Stadium in what will be the final game of the regular season. Winner makes the playoffs. It doesn’t get any bigger. Here’s what the Raiders are up against.
Offense
Herbert powers the NFL’s sixth-best scoring offense (27.6 points per game) with a rocket right arm, prototypical size and mobility and uncanny maturity in his second season. He’s third in passing yards (4,631) and touchdowns (35) while completing 67.3 percent of his passes.
He also has 301 rushing yards and three scores, showing the ability to improvise.
Ekeler has 847 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns to go with 612 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions. Keenan Allen remains as reliable a wide receiver as there is in the NFL, totaling 100 receptions for 1,086 yards and six scores.
Former first-round pick Mike Williams has blossomed into an ideal complement to Allen, relying on speed, size and ball skills to stretch the field. He has a career-high 1,027 receiving yards to go with eight touchdowns.
The Chargers predicate their offense on Herbert and their skill-position players, throwing on 61.4 percent of their plays — the seventh-most frequent among the NFL’s 32 teams.
Defense
Chargers first-year coach Brandon Staley comes from a defensive background but hasn’t cultivated a top-tier defense. Los Angeles yields 26.5 points per game, ranking 26th and last among AFC West teams. The Chargers are 30th in run defense, allowing 136.7 rushing yards per game.
They also sport the league’s worst third-down defense, allowing conversions 49.8 percent of the time. But with that said, they still boast talented players who can alter the game at any time.
Defense end Joey Bosa is a Pro Bowler up front and leads the team with 9.5 sacks. Safety Derwin James is also a Pro Bowler with 109 tackles and two interceptions. Linebacker Kyzir White is a disrupter at the second level with 137 tackles.
Special teams
Dustin Hopkins is one of the league’s most accurate kickers, converting 17 of 18 field goals. Punter Ty Young averages 44.9 yards per kick.
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.