Asante Samuel Jr.’s clutch pick and Khalil Mack’s six sacks save Chargers in win
Las Vegas started the game without its quarterback, and the Chargers briefly saw theirs disappear into the medical tent.
Along the way, the Chargers built an early 17-point lead, eventually gave much of it back, survived another late fourth-down failure and held on for a 24-17 victory at SoFi Stadium.
Herbert suffered an injury to his left hand near the end of the third quarter. He spent several minutes in the medical tent before returning for the Chargers’ next possession.
After a three-and-out that included a sack, Herbert returned to the sideline and received additional medical attention while seated on the bench. When he returned to the game, he was wearing a glove on his left hand.
Asante Samuel Jr. interception helps Chargers hold on for 24-17 win
🏈 Chargers 24, Raiders 20 — FINAL
After another failed Brandon Staley fourth-down gamble, Asante Samuel Jr., Joshua Palmer and Justin Herbert rescued the Chargers from what could have been their third loss on the young season.
On first-and-goal from the Chargers’ three-yard line, Samuel intercepted a pass from Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell to thwart Las Vegas’ only chance to lead the game. Herbert then connected on a 51-yard pass to Joshua Palmer that ran out the clock on the Raiders’ comeback effort.
The Chargers failed to convert on fourth-and-one from their own 34-yard line on their previous possession when Herbert was stopped at the line. O’Connell then connected with Davante Adams on a 19-yard pass on fourth-and-10 to set up first-and-goal before Samuel’s clutch pick.
Khalil Mack finished with a franchise record six sacks for the Chargers.
Herbert, playing with a splint on his non-throwing left hand for most of the season half, completed 13 of 24 passes for 167 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Palmer made three catches for 77 yards.
O’Connell completed 24 of 39 passes for 238 yards filling in for injured starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Josh Jacobs caught eight passes for 81 yards and had 17 carries for 58 yards.
Raiders score a touchdown late in the fourth quarter
🏈 Chargers 24, Raiders 17 — 3:59 left in the fourth quarter
Josh Jacobs scored on a one-yard touchdown run to make it a single-score game in the closing minutes of regulation.
The touchdown capped a 12-play, 60-yard drive spurred by a 13-yard pass from quarterback Aidan O’Connell to Davante Adams and a 10-yard reception by Ameer Abdullah.
Justin Herbert couldn’t do much on the Chargers’ last possession. Can he hold on to the ball and help the Chargers hold on for a win?
Khalil Mack breaks Chargers’ single-game sack record
Khalil Mack has tallied a Chargers single-game record six sacks so far against the Raiders. The veteran linebacker’s latest one ended what started as a promising-looking drive for the Raiders coming off an interception.
Mack is only the fifth player in NFL history to have six sacks in a game.
In other good news for the Chargers, quarterback Justin Herbert is out of the medical tent and back in the game. However, he has a splint on his left middle finger, with his hand and wrist heavily taped. While it’s not his throwing hand, it could complicate his ability to hold the ball and make handoffs.
Justin Herbert throws interception, then goes into blue medical tent
🏈 Chargers 24, Raiders 10 — End of the third quarter
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert sustained an apparent hand injury while trying to stop Raiders safety Tre’von Moehrig on an interception return.
Moehrig picked off deep pass from Herbert intended for Joshua Palmer and returned it 11 yards before being pushed out of bounds. Herbert tried to slow down Moehrig on the return, only to be knocked down by Raiders defensive tackle Adam Butler and defensive end Maxx Crosby.
After staying down on the field for about a minute, Herbert walked straight to the sideline medical tent. Easton Stick then started to warm up on the sideline.
Raiders cut in to the Chargers’ lead on 22-yard field goal
🏈 Chargers 24, Raiders 10 — 4:51 left in the third quarter
An impressive defensive stand in the red zone by the Chargers held the Raiders to a 22-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson.
Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell drove Las Vegas 48 yards on 13 plays, connecting on a 21-yard pass to Josh Jacobs and a 12-yard pass to Davante Adams.
An unnecessary roughness penalty on Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. aided the Raiders’ drive in what has, as expected, been a very physical game between the two AFC West rivals.
Chargers’ Khalil Mack has four sacks so far vs. Raiders
🏈 Chargers 24, Raiders 7 — 13:10 left in the third quarter
The Raiders go three-and-out on their first possession of the second half, with Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack sacking Las Vegas rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell twice. Mack has four sacks on the afternoon against his former team.
The Chargers also went three-and-out on their first possession of the second half.
Justin Herbert scores his second rushing touchdown of game
🏈 Chargers 24, Raiders 7 — 3:05 left in the second quarter
A one-yard lunge on fourth-and-goal by Justin Herbert extended the Chargers’ lead late in the first half.
The touchdown was Herbert’s second on the ground in the game. He also has a touchdown pass to Keenan Allen.
The Chargers’ offense took advantage of a short field for the second consecutive series after Khalil Mack strip-sacked Las Vegas rookie Aidan O’Connell.
The sack was Mack’s second on the day. O’Connell is making his NFL debut.
The Raiders are playing without star wide receiver Davante Adams, who left the game in the second quarter because of a shoulder injury.
Chargers extend lead on Keenan Allen TD; Jerry Tillery ejected
🏈 Chargers 17, Raiders 7 — 7:20 left in the second quarter
Justin Herbert hit a wide-open Keenan Allen for a seven-yard touchdown, giving the Chargers a 17-7 lead with 7:20 left in the second quarter.
The Chargers took over at the Las Vegas 36-yard line when rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell fumbled and Chris Rumph II recovered.
The possession was aided by an unnecessary roughness penalty on former Chargers’ defensive lineman Jerry Tillery, who hit Herbert out of bounds after a scramble.
Tillery was ejected from the game.
Chargers re-take lead on Cameron Dicker field goal
🏈 Chargers 10, Raiders 7 — 10:42 left in the second quarter
The Chargers retook the lead on a 33-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker.
Justin Herbert guided the Chargers to the Las Vegas seven-yard line, where they had first and goal.
But the series ended on pair of incompletions sandwiched around a Maxx Crosby sack that dropped Herbert for an eight-yard loss.
Crosby, the Raiders’ star edge rusher, beat right tackle Trey Pipkins III for the sack, continuing his disruptive first half.
Chargers tight end Donald Parham Jr. sustained a wrist injury and is questionable to return.
Raiders pull even on Aidan O’Connell touchdown run
🏈 Raiders 7, Chargers 7 — 45 seconds left in the first quarter
Las Vegas pulled even 7-7 on a one-yard run by Aidan O’Connell 45 seconds before the end of the first quarter.
The Raiders plowed through the Chargers defense, going 64 yards in eight plays.
Las Vegas took over after punter JK Scott was pressured and managed just a 24-yard effort, giving the Raiders possession at the Chargers’ 36-yard line.
O’Connell, the rookie quarterback starting in place of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, was three for three for 38 yards on the drive.
Chargers cornerback Michael Davis was called for pass interference while defending Davante Adams four plays before the touchdown.
Chargers jump out to early lead on Justin Herbert touchdown run
🏈 Chargers 7, Raiders 0 — 10:38 left in the first quarter
Justin Herbert finished an eventful drive with a 12-yard touchdown run to put the Chargers up on Las Vegas 7-0 with 10:38 left in the first quarter.
Three snaps earlier, Maxx Crosby gave Herbert a solid shot on what appeared to be a third-down sack. The play was nullified, however, because the Raiders were called for offsides.
Herbert’s final dash was the ninth play of a drive and consumed 86 yards on the game’s opening possession.
The Chargers gained 76 of those yards on the ground, including a 51-yard run by Derius Davis.
NFL roundtable: Can Chargers get by minus Mike Williams?
With Mike Williams out for the season, how do you think the Chargers might adjust the receiving corps?
Klein: The biggest adjustment: Give Keenan Allen even more touches. Yes, that will be a physical challenge for the 31-year-old Allen after he was targeted 20 times and had 18 catches. And passed for a touchdown! Put the ball in that guy’s hands.
Farmer: Yup, just like we saw Sunday, the Chargers are going to go to Keenan Allen early and often, and it’s clear that he’s up to the job. With Williams out, Justin Herbert repeatedly turned to Allen, who can turn 50/50 balls into 90/10 balls. Joshua Palmer is another sure-handed option. The Chargers have played without Williams before, and Herbert is plenty skilled when it comes to distributing to his weapons.
Miller: The Chargers used the 21st pick in the draft in April on wide receiver Quentin Johnston. This would be an ideal time for the rookie to emerge. Unfortunately for the team and Johnston, he has struggled to earn the necessary trust from Justin Herbert and the coaching staff. He played only 16 offensive snaps Sunday, catching two passes for 10 yards. With Williams out, though, more opportunities figure to come Johnston’s way.
Why Raiders game Sunday could be key to Chargers’ entire season
The most prolific receiving day in the career of the most prolific receiver in franchise history included an all-time, league-stopping highlight that was the exact opposite of receiving.
That’s how complete and overwhelming of a performance Keenan Allen produced last weekend in Minnesota.
All those catches (18 of them, setting team and personal bests) and yards (215, also a career high) had to share the shine with Allen’s 49-yard touchdown pass to fellow wideout Mike Williams.
“I’m excited, nervous,” Allen said a few days later recalling the feelings that welled up inside him when the trick play was called. “ ‘Don’t you mess this up, Keenan.’ ”
Five starters won’t suit up for Chargers vs. Raiders
The Chargers are down five starters Sunday against Las Vegas.
Center Corey Linsley, safety Derwin James Jr., edge rusher Joey Bosa, running back Austin Ekeler and safety Alohi Gilman will not play because of various aliments.
They also are without No. 2 wide receiver Mike Williams, who was lost to a season-ending knee injury in Week 3.
Linsley was placed on the non-football injury/illness list Saturday as he deals with a non-emergent heart-related issue. The other four players remain on the active roster but weren’t healthy enough to face the Raiders.
The Chargers’ other inactives were reserves: defensive back Deane Leonard (hamstring), defensive lineman Christopher Hinton and offensive lineman Zack Bailey.
Another key backup — safety JT Woods — also was placed on the non-football injury/illness list Saturday.
Is SoFi Stadium dangerous for fans? A study indicates many other NFL venues are worse
SoFi Stadium is one of the safer NFL venues both inside and in the surrounding neighborhoods, a conclusion drawn from a study of crime statistics and a poll of more than 3,000 fans by Sportsbook Review.
Crimes in and around stadiums occur all too often, however. In the study, 39.2% of respondents reported having witnessed or fallen victim to at least one crime in or outside stadiums.
Although 17 fans — 5.4% — reported witnessing a crime at SoFi Stadium, only one of those polled said they had been a victim of a crime while attending a Rams or Chargers home game.
J.C. Jackson says he expects to face Raiders, but what are Chargers’ expectations?
J.C. Jackson said he expects to play Sunday when the Chargers take on Las Vegas at SoFi Stadium.
The veteran cornerback was inactive last weekend in Minnesota despite being healthy enough to play, coach Brandon Staley explaining that he made the decision based on what he felt gave the Chargers their best chance to win.
“Yes, absolutely,” Jackson said Thursday. “I expect to play.”
Asked if he had been told anything specifically by Staley or a member of the staff, Jackson said, “The coach asked me how do I feel about playing this week and I told him, ‘I’ll be ready. I’ll be ready to go.’ ”
Chargers put Corey Linsley on injured list for ‘non-emergent heart-related issue’
The Chargers placed Corey Linsley on the injured reserve/non-football illness list Saturday as the center deals with what the team termed “a non-emergent heart-related issue.”
Linsley is in good spirits and will continue to undergo tests, the Chargers said Friday, stressing that the situation is not life-threatening.
Backup safety JT Woods, who likely would have started against the Raiders because of all the injuries, also was placed in on the injured reserve/non-football injury list.
Chargers-Raiders matchups: How to watch, start time, prediction
Breaking down how the Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders match up heading into their AFC West Sunday at 1:25 p.m. PDT at SoFi Stadium. The game will be shown on CBS and Paramount+.
When Chargers have the ball
Justin Herbert is coming off one of the most impressive games of his impressive career. He set personal bests with 40 completions for 405 yards and a completion percentage of 85.1. This came on a day when Minnesota blitzed at an historic rate, only to have Herbert blitz the Vikings right back.
Receiver Keenan Allen was equally spectacular, setting career highs for catches (18) and yards (215) and also throwing a touchdown pass.