Oakland Raiders stay strong to overcome the Los Angeles Chargers

The Oakland Raiders (5-4) stayed strong against the Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) during Thursday Night Football to climb above .500 for the first time this season, after a 26-24 win.

Around this time last season, the Raiders lost to the Chargers, putting their record at 1-8. A 5-4 record and second place in the AFC West this season isn’t too bad for Oakland. The win leaves them to be a major player in the AFC Wild Card race, and don’t rule them out just yet for the division lead.

Raiders Strong All-Around

The Raiders wasted no time getting down to business. They Picked off the Chargers quarterback, Philip Rivers, twice early in the game giving them a quick 10-0 lead in the first quarter.

Oakland rookie running back Josh Jacobs had the most crucial play near the end of the game. The rookie completed an 18-yard rushing touchdown to give Oakland the two-point lead. The Raiders secured the win when safety Karl Joseph intercepted Rivers one last time with 20-seconds left on the clock.

Head coach Jon Gruden is proud of his team.

Quarterback Derek Carr didn’t have his strongest game, finishing 21 of 31 for 218 yards and with one touchdown, but he got the job done. Carr connected where he needed to in order for the ball to get down the field and into the endzone.

Carr acknowledges that there is still room to grow.

Chargers Struggling

Despite the close score as a result of three touchdowns and one field goal, the Chargers couldn’t overcome the Raiders’ defense. Rivers threw 17 of 31 for 207 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.

Game-sealing INT!

The @Raiders defense holds on. #RaiderNation #LACvsOAK pic.twitter.com/x1Y6NZFOTe

— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2019

There was hope for Los Angeles at the end of the third quarter when they began closing the score gap with a field goal. That hope grew even stronger when running back Austin Ekeler scored on a 6-yard pass from Rivers.

Ultimately, the Raiders answered with a score of their own and the defense was too much for the Chargers to handle at the end of the game. This has been Los Angeles’ third game where the score differential is between ±3.  Out of the three, they have only won once against the Bears, 17-16.

Up Next

The Oakland Raiders will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 17.

The Los Angeles Chargers will face the Kansas City Chiefs for a Monday Night Football game on Nov. 18.