Raiders winners and losers in playoff-clinching victory vs. Chargers

Raiders winners and losers in playoff-clinching victory vs. Chargers

The Raiders beat the Chargers in overtime on Sunday night, 35-32, and punched their ticket to the AFC playoffs in the season’s final week. The thrilling game was a fitting end to a regular season filled with plenty of ups and downs for the silver and black.

Las Vegas jumped ahead 10-0, fell behind 14-10, and then surged to a 29-14 lead in the fourth quarter. After the Chargers mounted a comeback and sent the game to overtime, the teams exchanged field goals before Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson hit the 47-yard game-winner.

It was the Raiders’ fourth-straight win, and their fourth win in overtime this season. With a 10-7 record, they’ll face the Bengals in Cincinnati as the AFC’s fifth seed. Here are Las Vegas’ winners and losers in a game the entire franchise can be proud of.

Winners

Rich Bisaccia

Interim coach Rich Bisaccia assumed control of the Raiders amid uncertain times, with the resignation of ex-coach Jon Gruden. He steadied the ship, but Bisaccia’s leadership had to reach new heights after ex-wide receiver Henry Ruggs’ season ended in catastrophe.

And by leading the Raiders to a winning campaign and their first playoff birth since the 2016 season, he’s shown he’s a viable coaching candidate for Las Vegas. Bisaccia took a big step toward potentially having his “interim” title removed with this victory, and that’s a huge win for the veteran ball coach.

Derek Carr

Much like Bisaccia, quarterback Derek Carr once again had something to prove. He’s never played in a playoff game due to an injury in 2016, and this was his chance to prove he can once again lead a team to the tournament.

He got the job done and will soon cross the playoffs off of his career to-do list. Though Carr had just 186 passing yards, he threw two touchdowns. He was a bit reckless on a few passes and fumbled in the pocket, but he had zero turnovers, reversing a trend from previous weeks.

With Carr up for a new contract soon, such a performance can only help his chances of remaining the Raiders starting QB, regardless of who is coaching or running the front office.

Hunter Renfrow

Once again, WR Hunter Renfrow showed that he’s becoming one of the NFL’s premier pass-catchers. He caught both of Carr’s touchdown throws, one to give the Raiders a 10-0 lead and another to hand his team a 26-14 advantage.

Here’s a nice angle on his first score, which was vintage Renfrow.

Renfrow’s first touchdown was also his 100th reception of the season. He’s been sensational over the Raiders’ last four wins and has proven he can be much more than a bit player in Las Vegas’ offense.

Jalen Richard

Though he’s been a forgotten man for the Raiders this season due to injury, running back Jalen Richard has slowly crept back into his role of third-down back. On Sunday night, he made perhaps the play of the evening in a game that had plenty of candidates.

He converted a second-quarter 3rd-and-23 play on a delayed run up the middle, helping the Raiders bounce back after falling behind 14-10. Richard’s run came after an intentional grounding penalty on Carr and the drive led to a Las Vegas touchdown, with some help from a 41-yard pass interference penalty on Los Angeles drawn by Zay Jones.

Josh Jacobs

It was running back Josh Jacobs who cashed in for that touchdown, which came just before halftime, but he did much more on the day. In total, Jacobs had a career-high 132 yards on 26 carries, including some big runs in overtime.

His season hasn’t been what many hoped it would be, but it was the second time Jacobs tied or broke his career-high in the last three weeks. Lately, he looks a lot more like his old self, and that is great news for the Raiders as they head to the postseason.

Darius Philon

Defensive tackle Darius Philon had another one of this game’s big plays. When the Chargers unconventionally tried to convert a 4th-and-1 try from their own 18-yard line early in the second half, Philon was there to let Los Angeles know they should have considered a punt.

Philon made a memorable play but the entire defensive front terrorized Chargers QB Justin Herbert all game and played solid rush defense. The Raiders had three sacks, with Pro Bowl DE Maxx Crosby notching two. Las Vegas also had 10 QB hits and six tackles for loss.

As for the back end of the defense, the Raiders had 15 pass breakups.  Though cornerback Brandon Facyson gets this week’s only losers’ mention due to an early penalty that aided a Chargers touchdown drive.

And one more on the winners’ side: Carlson not only made the game-sealing kick, but he also hit all five of his field-goal tries and each of his PAT attempts.

As the Raiders roll into the playoffs on a four-game winning streak after a season of adversity, it’s anybody’s guess as to how far Bisaccia’s crew can go. But this was a huge win for the Las Vegas franchise, and it’s safe to say that inside the Raiders locker room, they believe anything is possible.

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