Chargers-Raiders Final Score: San Diego Chargers lose to Oakland Raiders 19-16

First Half

The Oakland Raiders won the toss and deferred tot he second half. Chargers special teams dug a hole early, but Kenneth Farrow, Philip Rivers, and Hunter Henry got them out of it. Dontrelle Inman continued the solid work he has put in of late catching multiple balls on the drive. Then Travis Benjamin finally showed up and caught a long touchdown pass to put the Chargers on top early.

The Raiders offense had a relatively easy time of moving the ball at first, but the Chargers defense stiffened and forced a field goal attempt that Sebastian Janikowski converted.

The Chargers next drive failed when Rivers took a sack on 3rd down forcing a punt. On the Raiders following drive, they were moving the ball well again before Melvin Ingram forced a fumble that was recovered by Kyle Emanuel.

A pair of runs and a reception short of the sticks by Farrow set up 4th & 1 as the quarter expired. Drew Kaser came on to punt and Jalen Richard signaled for a fair catch from the Oakland 37.

Derek Car passed for a pair of 1st downs as the Raiders worked their way into the red zone. Jatavis Brown stopped Richard in the backfield on 1st down, then tackled DeAndre Washington after a 5 yard gain on 2nd. On 3rd down, Carr tested Trovon Reed and paid for it with an interception.

The Chargers were unable to do anything with it as they delivered a predictable run, run, pass three-and-out. A short punt return by Richard gave the Raiders the ball at midfield. Their offense was no more effective, though, and they also went three-and-out.

Philip Rivers and co. responded by engineering a 4-minute, 63-yard drive that ended in a Josh Lambo field goal. Unfortunately, they left just under 90 seconds on the clock and John Pagano defenses are notoriously awful in 2-minute situations.

The Raiders quickly picked up 9, 33, and 12 yards on their first three plays and found themselves on the San Diego 20. A Dwight Lowery defensive holding penalty kept their drive alive. On the very next play, Michael Crabtree caught a touchdown pass that was initially ruled incomplete but that official review overturned.

Having allowed the Raiders to tie the game before the half, the Chargers ran their customary draw play to end the half.

Second Half

Thanks to their decision to defer, the Raiders received to start the half. Josh Lambo failed to keep the kickoff in bounds and set the Raiders up at their own 40. On 3rd & 4, Clive Walford just ran away from Dwight Lowery for a 13-yard gain. A false start backed them up, but then Andre Holmes picked up 23 yards over the middle. On 3rd & 2, Melvin Ingram batted down Carr’s pass to force a field goal attempt which Janikowski converted.

Taking over at their own 23, Rivers found Inman for a 21-yard gain. Inman showed up again on 3rd & 4 to pick up another 1st. Then on the next play he had a great block to help spring Tyrell Williams for an 11-yard gain. On 1st down? Inman again. He picked up 26 yards on a short reception and long run. Hunter Henry then got open in the end zone for six points. And it stayed six points because Lambo missed the extra point.

Starting from their own 25 after a touchback, the Raiders picked up 9 yards on a run and a catch by Jalen Richard. On 3rd & 1, they turned to Latavius Murray who was stood up at the line of scrimmage to force a punt.

Up three points and facing a dangerous Raiders offense, Mike McCoy seemed content to burn clock by running the ball. They picked up one 1st down before being forced to punt from their own 36-yard line. Kaser then bombed a 69-yard punt that took a very fortuitous bounce before going out of bounds at the Oakland 3.

After their defense got the ball back for them, Isaiah Burse fielded a punt at the 10-yard line that likely would have bounced into the end zone for a touchback. To make matters worse, Adrian Phillips was flagged for an illegal block. The offense made it all the way to their own 13 before a Kenneth Farrow fumble gave the ball to Oakland on an incredibly short field.

The Chargers defense came up huge, though, and forced a 4th & goal from the 2-yard line. Del Rio elected for the field goal and Janikowski tied the game.

Farrow took a short pass from Rivers 8 yards on 1st down but was stopped for no gain on 2nd. David Amerson then broke up a pass to Tyrell Williams on 3rd and 2 to force the three-and-out.

After the touchback, Latavius Murray ran through one of the biggest holes you have ever seen for a 27-yard gain. Seth Roberts then picked up another 1st down with a 22-yard reception. On 3rd & 8, Carr scrambled for what looked like a 1st down after Jahleel Addae flushed him from the pocket, but on the field, he was ruled short. Del Rio challenged and it was ruled a 1st down. A big-time sack by pending free Agent Melvin Ingram forced a 44-yard field goal attempt. Unfortunately, Janikowski made it easily to give the Raiders the lead with 2:40 left in the game.

The special teams gave the offense some terrible field position thanks to a 9-yard kick return to the 14. On 1st down, Rivers threw an incomplete pass intended for Travis Benjamin. On 2nd down, Bruce Irvin got around King Dunlap for a sack that brought us to the two-minute warning. Pressure in Rivers’ face on 3rd & 15 forced another incompletion and set up 4th & 15. King Dunlap gave up immediate pressure and Rivers threw a pick over the middle to ice the game.