The Las Vegas Raiders decided to give their fans a heart attack this week with a game that came down to the final second. The Raiders traveled to Los Angeles and came out with a tough win with a 31-26 finish over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The offense didn’t have many plays but made the most of their possession. The Raiders averaged 6.4 yards per play and ran the ball at will against the Chargers. They finished with 160 yards rushing and 6.1 yards per carry, with Josh Jacobs and Devin Booker leading the way with 6.2 yards per carry setting the tone for the game. The offense showed up again like it has all season.

The defense struggled to get off the field, allowing 5.9 yards per play and losing the time of possession. They did step up and get two sacks, which has been missing from the last two matchups, which gave a hot offense the ball back. These important plays, like the last two plays of the game, were vital to the victory. It wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done.

Who were the winners and losers? Let’s take a look.

Winner: CB Isaiah Johnson

The Raiders defense has been the crutch for this team the whole season. They have given up big play after big play en route to being one of the worst defenses in the league. However, they made big stops Sunday afternoon, and the leader was second-year player Isaiah Johnson.

Johnson had to step in when Trayvon Mullen went down with a tweaked hamstring, and he didn’t look back. His first pass breakup was on the sidelines against Jaylen Guyton. Then he made a gigantic stop on third down with a great tackle on Mike Williams. Where he officially put his stamp on this game was the last two plays. In the final seconds, he broke up two fade routes to help seal the victory.

These moments can build a player’s confidence, and even if Mullen is healthy, the Raiders should think about Johnson starting. He’s long, fast, and very agile at the position and has the potential to become a good cornerback. It’s time to give the kid a shot.

Winner: LB Nick Kwiatkowski

The Raiders have paid a lot into their defense the past two years through free agency and the draft. The results haven’t made fans too excited, with most being blunders after signing huge deals. One player who has lived up to the hype is Nick Kwaitkoski, who has played extremely well.

Since he returned from injury, Kwaitkoski has put great game after great game, and Sunday was no different. He finished the game with 13 total tackles with ten solo and was all over the field take down ball carriers. His biggest play of the game was on the two-point conversion late in the fourth, where he stopped Tyrod Taylor in his tracks, stopping a huge two-point conversion that helped save the game.

Raiders have been looking for linebacker help for a long time and finally might have arrived. Kwiatkoski is displaying that he is a starting linebacker in the NFL with every snap he takes. He is exhibiting that he might have been the best signing this offseason.

Winner: RB Devontae Booker

The Raiders know Josh Jacobs needs a rest as his injuries are starting pile up this season. Fans were disappointed when they didn’t draft bruiser behind Jacobs but instead signed former Bronco running back Devontae Booker. Booker has made the fans quiet as he continues an excellent season as a backup to Josh Jacobs.

Booker finished Sunday with eight carries for 68 yards and a touchdown. He was excellent on the pin-pull sweeps. The Raiders were running down the Chargers throats and creating massive gains on the ground. Booker on the year now is averaging 6.7 YPC, which leads all running backs in the NFL.

Booker has been a great surprise for the Raiders, but he needs to put the ball to his outside hand. It just makes me nervous, but that’s a side note. He’s having a great season and continues to be a steal for the Raiders in free agency.

Loser: CB Nevin Lawson

The Raiders secondary didn’t have the best game on Sunday and let Justin Herbert throw for over 300 yards passing on the day. One of the main culprits who was getting toasted on the regular was backup cornerback Nevin Lawson. Let’s say he didn’t have his best game Sunday.

Lawson constantly beat on the outside, especially on Keenan Allen, who finished with over 100 yards receiving a touchdown on the day. He couldn’t hang with the elite route runner and was allowed too many plays in coverage. He has basically become a liability on the field at this point.

With the emergence of Johnson and the return of Arnette looming, we probably won’t see much of Lawson going forward. That might be a positive thing because we haven’t seen too much from Lawson during the 2020 NFL season.

Loser: LB Cory Littleton

Speaking of free-agent linebackers, while one is playing at a top-level, the other looks like a shell of himself. Cory Littleton came into the Raiders locker room as one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL. For an odd reason, it seems like he forgot how to play football as he continues to struggle in coverage with the Raiders.

During the game, it seemed like every Hunter Henry catch was on Littleton. Henry was abusing him all day with different route combinations to create separation and beat the linebacker with ease. Littleton then forced a huge holding penalty on third down, leading to a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

This is certainly not the player who the Raiders thought they signed when they paid him 11 million before the season. He has not lived up to his expectations and seems to be a major disappointment for this team. The Raiders need Littleton to step up very soon if they want to make a push for the playoffs.

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