Tag: Chargers vs. Raiders score

The Chargers lost to the Raiders in one of the most thrilling football games in recent memory.

To recap Week 18, here is everything we know:

It was over when…

Daniel Carlson kicked the game-clinching field goal as time expired in overtime.

Notable numbers of the game

The Chargers were 6-of-7 on fourth down situations.

Justin Herbert surpassed 5,000 passing yards, marking the first Charger ever to accomplish the feat.

Herbert engineered a 19-play, 83-yard drive in 2:06 to send the game to overtime.

Los Angeles allowed 174 rushing yards (5.1 yards per carry).

The Bolts committed ten penalties for 108 yards.

Quick takes

– What more can you say about Herbert? The guy has it. Despite being in the face of pressure and taking hit after hit all night long, he still overcame the adversity.

– When it seemed like the Chargers’ season was over when it was 29-14, Herbert guided them to two consecutive touchdown drives to tie up the game and send it to overtime, delivering remarkable throws along the way.

– Los Angeles’ offensive line had no answer for the Raiders’ pass rush for the majority of the game, and it was Storm Norton who was the primary culprit, with Maxx Crosby having his way on the right side.

– The drops continued to be an issue, but the pass catchers delivered in crunch time on crucial downs. Mike Williams and Keenan Allen had two each in the final two drives.

– The Chargers had to abandon the run in the fourth quarter, but they managed to be efficient, averaging four yards per carry on the night.

– Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow were held to 22 and 13 yards, respectively. However, Michael Davis and Chris Harris Jr. were the culprits of Renfrow’s touchdown grabs.

– Derek Carr was held to 186 yards passing. Still, the Raiders resorted to the run where Joshua Jacobs had a field day, and the Chargers remained undisciplined up front and struggled to tackle at the second level, with Jerry Tillery and Kenneth Murray being the primary targets.

– The 3rd-and-23 play where Jalen Richard picked up the first down was the most maddening of them all.

– Speaking of Murray, he was on the field in favor of Kyzir White in dime packages. Confusing, to say the least, considering White was the team’s best linebacker all season.

–  It’s easy to point fingers at the refs. The pass interference penalty on Harris to set up Jacobs’ one-yard rushing touchdown shouldn’t have been called. Even if Zay Jones flopped or not, the ball was not catchable.

– While the Raiders got theirs, I felt like the refs missed a handful of holding penalties that should’ve been called for the Chargers.

– The special teams unit wasn’t at its best. Dustin Hopkins missed a 52-yard field goal. Andre Roberts averaged just 23.5 yards on kickoffs and fumbled on a punt return.

– Brandon Staley’s timeout in the final minute of overtime will be the talk of the week, as many assume that the Raiders were trending towards letting the clock run out to end the game in a tie. Regardless, the lackluster run defense still let them down on that entire drive, as it did most of the game.

What’s next?

After finishing 9-8, the Chargers head into the offseason with nearly $80 million in cap space and the 17th overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft.