Chargers can’t mount miracle comeback in 27-20 loss to Raiders
🏈 Raiders 27, Chargers 20 — FINAL
Davante Adams caught eight passes for 177 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns to lift Las Vegas to a 27-20 victor over the Chargers at Allegiant Stadium.
The loss dropped the Chargers to 6-6. They play Miami next weekend at SoFi Stadium.
Justin Herbert finished 28 of 47 for 335 yards. He was sacked four times.
Keenan Allen caught six passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Gerald Everett had five receptions for 80 yards.
Keenan Allen comes up big with critical touchdown catch
🏈 Raiders 27, Chargers 20 — 8:34 left in the fourth quarter
Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ offense finally reached the end zone when Herbert hit Keenan Allen for a 35-yard touchdown on fourth-and-12.
The score pulled the Chargers to within 27-20 with 8:34 to go in regulation at Allegiant Stadium.
Herbert is 22 of 38 for 250 yards and Allen has five receptions for 75 yards. The touchdown is his second of the season after he missed much of the year because of a hamstring injury.
Raiders continue to pull away against Chargers
🏈 Raiders 27, Chargers 13 — 14:49 left in the fourth quarter
Daniel Carlson extended Las Vegas’ lead to 27-13 with a 25-yard field goal 11 seconds into the fourth quarter.
On the play immediately before the kick, Michael Davis broke up a pass intended for Davante Adams near the back of the end zone. Had Davis not made the play, Adams would have had his third scoring catch of the second half.
The Raiders have assumed control of the game behind two big touchdown receptions from Adams and a defense that has not permitted Justin Herbert to reach the end zone through three quarters.
Raiders extend lead on 45-yard TD catch by Davante Adams
🏈 Raiders 24, Chargers 13 — 10:53 left in the third quarter
Davante Adams made his second touchdown reception in barely three minutes to put Las Vegas up 24-13 early in the third quarter.
Adams hauled in a 45-yard completion from Derek Carr with Bryce Callahan in coverage.
Adams scored on a 31-yard connection on the Raiders’ previous drive. For the game, Adams has five receptions for 143 yards.
Raiders take lead on 31-yard TD catch by Davante Adams
🏈 Raiders 17, Chargers 13 — 14:28 left in the third quarter
Davante Adams hauled in a 31-yard scoring pass from Derek Carr 32 seconds into the third quarter to give Las Vegas its first lead of the game.
The completion came immediately after Austin Ekeler fumbled at the end of an 11-yard reception from Justin Herbert on the opening possession of the second half.
The lost fumble was Ekeler’s second of the season.
On the Raiders’ touchdown, Asante Samuel Jr. was in coverage on Adams and had decent position but was unable to prevent Adams from making the play.
Chargers lead at halftime after Raiders field-goal miss
🏈 Chargers 13, Raiders 10 — HALFTIME
Cameron Dicker’s 34-yard field goal with 27 seconds to go in the second quarter push the Chargers ahead going into halftime.
The Raiders had a chance to tie the game, but Daniel Carlson missed a field goal from 52 yards in the final 10 seconds.
The Raiders quickly moved into scoring position on a 36-yard completion from Derek Carr to Davante Adams. Asante Samuel Jr. had coverage on the play but fell down.
Justin Herbert is 11 of 20 for 121 yards for the Chargers. Joshua Palmer has four receptions for 34 yards and Austin Ekeler has five carries for 24 yards.
Las Vegas has sacked Herbert four times. He never has been sacked more than five times in a game.
The Chargers will receive the second-half kickoff.
Daniel Carlson field goal pulls Raiders even with Chargers
🏈 Chargers 10, Raiders 10 — 2:17 left in the second quarter
Daniel Carlson’s 55-yard field goal with 2:17 to go in the second quarter pulled Las Vegas even with the Chargers 10-10.
The Raiders went 42 yards in eight plays to set up Carlson’s field goal. Consecutive incompletions by Derek Carr ended the possession.
Carr has completed seven of 16 passes for 88 yards and one interception.
Josh Jacobs touchdown puts Raiders on the scoreboard
🏈 Chargers 10, Raiders 7 — 7:52 left in the second quarter
Josh Jacobs strolled into the end zone untouched on a 20-yard run as Las Vegas cut the Chargers’ lead.
The Raiders went 75 yards in eight plays, including Derek Carr completions of 19 yards to Davante Adams and 14 yards to Mack Hollins.
Jacobs, the NFL’s leading rusher entering Sunday, has 56 yards on his first nine attempts.
Chargers extend lead on Cameron Dicker field goal
🏈 Chargers 10, Raiders 0 — 11:37 left in the second quarter
The Chargers moved ahead 10-0 on a 37-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker with 11:37 remaining in the first half.
The Chargers went 61 yards in 13 plays and converted a pair of third downs. The possession stalled when Chandler Jones sacked Justin Herbert.
Jones entered Sunday with only half a sack for the season. He has dropped Herbert twice already.
Bryce Callahan scores on pick-six to give Chargers early lead
🏈 Chargers 7, Raiders 0 — 5:07 left in the first quarter
The Chargers took the lead in the first quarter on a Bryce Callahan interception return for touchdown.
Callahan snagged the ball after it was deflected by fellow corner Asante Samuel Jr. Derek Carr’s pass was intended for Mack Hollins.
The score came after the Chargers failed to capitalize on a forced fumble by linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. on the Raiders’ previous possession. Murray knocked the ball out of Josh Jacobs’ hands and Kyle Van Noy recovered at the Las Vegas 25-yard line.
The Chargers’ offense couldn’t advance much from there, however, and turned the ball over on downs when coach Brandon Staley opted to go for it on fourth-and-two.
Chargers’ Keenan Allen says he’s ready to play chicken with Raiders’ secondary
Las Vegas employs man-to-man pass coverage at a rate that ranks as the ninth-most in the NFL.
Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen was asked Thursday what, specifically, that will mean to him.
“Barbecued chicken,” he said. “No doubt.”
Allen then was asked what, specifically, he meant by “barbecued chicken.”
“That means they’re dead,” he said, smiling. “You’re gonna get to see ‘Slayer.’ ”
“Slayer” is Allen’s nickname, one he hopes to earn again with emphasis Sunday when the Chargers visit the Raiders for an AFC West game with significant postseason implications.
Potential Chargers playoff run has been a running problem with Raiders up next
A Chargers defense that has struggled to stop the run will now face a back who topped 100 yards Sunday.
And Josh Jacobs did that just in overtime.
Jacobs lifted Las Vegas to a 40-34 victory at Seattle with an 86-yard touchdown run midway through the extra session. For the game, he totaled 229 yards — a Raiders franchise record — in 33 attempts.
At the same time, the Chargers were having all sorts of issues trying to contain James Conner and corral Kyler Murray in a 25-24 win at Arizona.
“We had to tackle better,” coach Brandon Staley said Monday. “We missed some tackles that contributed to some big gains, or bigger gains. It’s just playing team defense. Our tackling on the perimeter was at the heart of a lot of the plays.”
Brandon Staley explains how Chargers must not fumble against Raiders’ pass rush
He was discussing his defense’s struggles against the run Wednesday when Brandon Staley noted that football is “such a great team game.”
The Chargers’ head coach was making the point that stopping the run isn’t just about the big bodies up front playing well but rather the entire defense working together.
“Just like on offense, they say, ‘OK, sacks are just about the O-line,’ ” Staley explained. “Well, it’s not. It’s about your quarterback. It’s about your protection plan. There are a whole bunch of things.”
The reference was timely since protecting Justin Herbert is another issue that recently has surfaced for the Chargers.
Chargers return to scene of Las Vegas crime against Raiders
LAS VEGAS — Their playoff hopes still alive, the Chargers now return to where everything died for them last season.
Busted, just off the Strip.
Nearly 11 months ago, the Chargers visited Allegiant Stadium and fell in overtime 35-32 to Las Vegas in the NFL’s regular-season finale.
It wasn’t a must-win, but it was a must-not-lose. A victory or tie would have advanced the Chargers into the postseason.
Instead, they were kicked aside by a 47-yard Raiders field goal as time — so fittingly — expired.
Bryce Callahan active for Chargers against the Raiders
No surprises among the Chargers’ inactives for today against Las Vegas. The group includes three injured starters: wide receiver Mike Williams (ankle), center Corey Linsley (concussion) and right tackle Trey Pipkins III (knee).
Also inactive are wide receiver Jason Moore Jr., running back Sony Michel and quarterback Easton Stick.
Slot corner Bryce Callahan is active after being downgraded Sunday morning to questionable because of a groin injury.
Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders matchups, how to watch and prediction
Breaking down how the Chargers (6-5) and the Las Vegas Raiders (4-7) match up heading into their game at 1:25 p.m. PST on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium. The game will be shown on CBS (Ch. 2) and streamed on Paramount+ and NFL+.
When Chargers have the ball
Particularly with a running game that has been unreliable, the Chargers figure to lean heavily on Justin Herbert against a Las Vegas defense that ranks 26th in the NFL against the pass. Seattle’s Geno Smith threw for 328 yards against the Raiders last weekend.
Unleashing Herbert can’t happen if the Chargers don’t protect him, something that will be complicated by the presence of Maxx Crosby, who is fourth in the NFL in sacks.
Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi was asked how much game-planning the Chargers will do for Crosby. “A ton,” he said. “He’s a guy that can just completely ruin your day. Just someone that we are going to be aware of. Him being on the field and where he is and what play we are running, we are taking a player like that into account every single play.”
Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders: Betting odds, lines and picks against the spread
The Chargers are missing key skill players on both sides of the ball, but center Corey Linsley‘s concussion is the most concerning of those injuries and one that could be moving the line against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Here’s a betting breakdown of Sunday’s matchup between the AFC West rivals:
Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders (PK, 50.5)
Some Southern California residents who spent Thanksgiving weekend in Sin City are likely making the trek up Interstate 15 again to watch their beloved Chargers battle the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. This game means more to the Chargers than the Raiders given the positioning for each team in the standings and the remaining strength of schedule. However, we’ve seen this line leak down to a pick ‘em because of the litany of injuries for the Chargers.
Though Derwin James Jr. and Mike Williams will draw the headlines, the most impactful injury for the Chargers this week is Linsley’s concussion. Linsley grades as a top-two center in the NFL per Pro Football Focus and is the unquestioned leader of the offensive line. Trey Pipkins III’s injury is another big one as the starting right tackle and cluster injuries are always noteworthy, but Linsley means everything from a pass protection standpoint.