The Raiders might not have much of a chance to make the playoffs this season, but they’re doing the best they can to spoil some other team’s chances. On Sunday, the Raiders knocked off the Los Angeles Chargers, 27-20, in Allegiant Stadium.
The Chargers entered the game at 6-5 and with a good chance to get into the post season. They still may make it, but the task got a little harder after the loss. Last week, the Raiders (5-7 overall, 3-2 AFC West) beat another team with playoff aspirations, the Seattle Seahawks.
The Raiders are doing it with big doses of Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs.
Adams finished the game with 177 yards on eight catches and two touchdowns, while Jacobs rushed for 144 yards on 26 carries and one touchdown. Derek Carr was 16 of 30 for 250 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
After a tight first half that found the Raiders trailing 13-10, the defense came out and forced a Charger fumble on their opening drive. One play later, quarterback Carr hit Adams for a 31-yard touchdown connection. The score put the Raiders up 17-13.
The Chargers (6-6, 2-3 AFC West Division) drove, but missed a field goal. Two plays later, Carr handed off to Jacobs, who flipped the ball back to Carr. Adams was streaking down the field and Carr hit him in stride for another touchdown, this time from 45-yards out. The score put the Raiders up 24-13.
The Raiders Daniel Carlson added a 25-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 27-13.
First half played close to the vest
The Raiders turned the ball over twice in the first quarter. The first came on a fumble by Josh Jacobs at the Las Vegas 26 yard line. But the Chargers turned the ball over on downs four plays later. Three plays later, Carr was intercepted by Bryan Callahan, who returned it for a touchdown and the Chargers led, 7-0, with 5:07 left to play in the quarter.
The Chargers extended their lead to 10-0 midway though the second quarter on a 37-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker. The Raiders answered, however, with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Josh Jacobs breaking through the middle on a 20-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 10-7 with 7:52 left in the half.
The Raiders forced a punt, and the Raiders drove 42 yards on eight plays to tie the score at 10-10 on a 55-yard Carlson field goal with 2:17 left in the half. However, that left just enough time for the Chargers to drive 59 yards for Dicker to kick a 34-yard field goal and put the Chargers on top, 13-10, with 27 seconds remaining.
The Raiders tried to answer back, but Carlson’s 52-yard attempt with 9 seconds left faded left.
