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The Las Vegas Raiders will not be going undefeated. The Los Angeles Chargers picked up a victory over their division rivals on Monday night, handing the Raiders their first loss of the season, by a final of 28-14.
Justin Herbert gave L.A. a three-score lead heading into halftime with TD passes to Donald Parham, Jared Cook and Austin Ekeler, but the Raiders got themselves back into the game with a dominant third quarter. Derek Carr led two touchdown drives in the period, finding Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller with touchdown passes inside the red zone.
The Raiders had an opportunity to drive for a game-tying score, but Carr took a third-down sack that stalled their momentum, and Daniel Carlson then missed a 52-yard field goal. On the ensuing drive, Ekeler put the Chargers on his back, totaling 24 yards on his three carries and taking the final one for his second score of the night to put his team up by 14 points. The Raiders had another chance to get themselves back into the game, but Derwin James ended it by intercepting a Carr pass intended for Waller.
Here are some takeaways from the Chargers' big win on Monday night, which was also special because it marked the return of some important off-field "Crucial Catch" endeavors from the NFL:
Why the Chargers won
After the weather delay, only they came out looking ready to move the ball, with Justin Herbert completing passes at a high rate and navigating Vegas' defense comfortably. While his pass targets were relatively quiet (just 47 yards from Keenan Allen and Mike Williams combined), he kept his eyes downfield all night and still took the short throws when he needed to. Ekeler was a playmaker in that regard, fielding Herbert's dump-offs and bursting through the Raiders defense to the tune of 100+ total yards and two scores. Brandon Staley's defense was just as impressive, completely stymying Carr to the point Vegas seemed only to be moving laterally until the third quarter. With steady heat up front and mostly tight coverage on the outside, the Chargers maintained firm control of the contest for the majority of the night. James' fourth-quarter pick of Carr sealed the deal with a bang.
Why the Raiders lost
Too little, too late from Carr and a Raiders offense that had apparently gotten too accustomed to winning with second-half heroics. Struggling to hit on anything downfield for the first 30 minutes of game play, with Josh Jacobs inexplicably headlining their passing attack out of the gate, Carr picked it up with oomph after halftime. But the ground game never gained steam, and aside from Waller, no one offered more than a single game-breaking play. The defense, meanwhile, played inspired for stretches, with Cory Littleton, Maxx Crosby and Trevon Moehrig among those stepping up with key stops or pressures. But it had few answers for Ekeler and fell victim to one too many Herbert strikes along the way.
Turning point
Fourth down, with just over nine minutes to play. The Raiders could not cut the Chargers' lead to four points on the previous drive, with Carlson missing a 52-yard field goal try, but they had Los Angeles stalled at midfield in this spot. Staley dialed up a fourth-down pass, however, showing smarts and aggression in exactly the right spot, and Herbert delivered to Cook for 13 yards, pushing the Chargers into Raiders territory and setting up the game-sealing TD from Ekeler.
Play of the game
It didn't win the Raiders the game, but it sure demonstrated Waller's dominance at the tight end position, this touchdown connection that pulled Vegas within 14:
What's next
The Chargers (3-1) will be at home again in Week 5, when they're set to play host to the Browns (3-1), who are fresh off a close win over the Vikings. The Raiders (3-1), meanwhile, will return to Vegas to play host to the Bears (2-2), who just edged the Lions on Sunday.
Crucial Catch
The NFL and American Cancer Society kicked off their 13th straight year as partners this week with "Crucial Catch: Intercept Cancer," a league-wide endeavor to encourage people to catch cancer early. All 32 teams, from now through Week 6, have the option of supporting early detection efforts, and players are permitted to wear cleats and shoelaces representing cancer awareness. New Era and Nike have also teamed up to create official NFL "Crucial Catch" apparel, which can be purchased to raise awareness and bring support to multiple cancer prevention efforts. Get your official "Crucial Catch" gear to get involved right here.
