A third straight loss at Allegiant Stadium has all but killed the Las Vegas Raiders’ playoff hopes.
The Chargers defeated the Raiders 30-27 Thursday night in overtime to drop Las Vegas to 7-7 on the season with two games remaining. Los Angeles rookie quarterback Justin Herbert scored on a 1-yard sneak with 1:32 remaining in the extra period to secure the victory.
Although it was in a precarious position with quarterback Derek Carr joining a rash of defensive players already out with injuries early in the first quarter, the Raiders only have themselves to blame. They had plenty of opportunities to win the game, both in overtime and regulation.
Marcus Mariota, Carr’s replacement, mostly excelled in relief but came up short when it mattered most. He threw an interception at the Chargers’ 21-yard line to cornerback Chris Harris in the final play before the two-minute warning.
Las Vegas got a reprieve when Los Angeles kicker Michael Badgley missed a 51-yard field goal with 51 seconds remaining, but Mariota couldn’t bring the Raiders down the field in time for a real field-goal attempt of their own.
They trotted out the field goal team for a 65-yard try at the end of the regulation, but holder A.J. Cole bobbled the snap to send the game into overtime.
Mariota took the Raiders inside the 5-yard line to start overtime, but couldn’t find the end zone. Las Vegas settled for a 23-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson and had to trust their defense to hold onto a 27-24 lead with 3:22 to go.
The stop unit wasn’t up to the task, however, despite a coordinator change from Paul Guenther to Rod Marinelli earlier this week. The Raiders allowed the Chargers to score in only five plays, set up by a 53-yard pass from Herbert to Jalen Guyton down to the 2-yard line.
Herbert finished with 314 passing yards and three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) and completed 22 of 32 attempts. Mariota, in his first action as a Raider, went 17-for-28 for 226 yards with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown.
Darren Waller was his favorite target as the tight end exploded once again with nine catches for 150 yards.
Stay tuned to lasvegassun.com for more coverage later and read below for live updates throughout the game.
Game heads to overtime
The Chargers missed two potential game-winning field goals in the final four minutes of the game and the Raiders had a bad snap on a planned 65-yard prayer of a field goal in the final seconds.
The miscues deliver the first overtime game in the history of Allegiant Stadium with the Raiders and Chargers locked in a 24-24 battle.
Raiders tie the game at 24-24
Marcus Mariota took quite the hit, but he got into the end zone to tie the game with 6:16 to go.
Raiders 24, Chargers 24.
Las Vegas’ backup quarterback, pressed into action after Derek Carr hurt his groin in the first quarter, has started to take over the game with his legs. Mariota has picked up a couple huge conversions by running and has six carries for 55 yards.
He also made a pair of fourth-down throws, both to Darren Waller, to extend the latest drive. The Raiders’ season hangs in the balance with only minutes to go.
Chargers go up 24-17 with 2:08 to go in third quarter
Another poor performance from the Raiders’ defense has them at risk of dropping their third loss in the last four games and falling out of the playoff race.
Las Vegas allowed Los Angeles to go 75 yards on 12 plays in just more than five minutes on its latest drive, culminating with a 1-yard touchdown run from Kalen Ballage. The tie game didn’t last long as the Chargers are now ahead 24-17.
Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert might be clinching the Rookie of the Year award with a spectacular 261 yards on 21-for-29 passing. Las Vegas’ defense has no answers for Herbert.
Raiders tie the game with Mariota stepping up
The Raiders aren’t going down quietly.
Las Vegas opened the second half with the defense getting a stop against Los Angeles, and then the offense responded by going on a long scoring drive. Josh Jacobs dove over the middle of the line for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the score at 17-17.
Marcus Mariota continued to play well in relief, converting a third-and-long with a pass to Darren Waller and then a 4th-and-2 with a scramble.
Raiders trail 17-10 at halftime
Marcus Mariota’s second drive didn’t go as well as his first.
Given the chance to run a 2-minute drill, Mariota failed to lead the Raiders to a single first down. He had a decent stint on the field compared to A.J. Cole, though, as the punter shanked a kick to give Chargers great field position around midfield that they capitalized on.
Justin Herbert threw his second touchdown pass, a 26-yarder to Tyron Johnson to give Los Angeles a 17-10 halftime lead. Herbert has been spectacular in the first half, completing 16 of 20 passes for 194 yards.
Mariota is 5-for-5 for 80 yards but throwing short of the first-down marker on a 3rd-and-9 before the Chargers’ scoring drive has proven costly.
Raiders take the lead with 9:19 to go in first half
Marcus Mariota just showed why the Raiders spent so much money for the luxury of a backup quarterback who has successful starting experience in the NFL.
The former Heisman Trophy winner led Las Vegas on a 7-play, 86-yard touchdown drive in his first action of the season with the score coming on a 35-yard pass down the sideline to Darren Waller. The Raiders lead 10-7, largely because of the spark Mariota has provided with Carr in the locker room.
Derek Carr hurt as Raiders settle for field goal
The Raiders went 70 yards down the field and kicked a 23-yard field goal, but that feels secondary right now.
On the final play before the Daniel Carlson kick, Derek Carr appeared to tweak something — potentially his groin, which he reached for — as he hobbled out of bounds. Las Vegas' quarterback is now in the locker room.
The Raiders are down 7-3 but might be facing bigger issues if Carr, who's guided them all season, is unable to return. Backup Marcus Mariota will take over the next time the Raiders' offense is on the field.
Chargers lead 7-3 midway through first quarter
The Raiders’ defense didn’t look repaired in their first appearance under new coordinator Rod Marinelli.
The Chargers went right down the field and scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to Hunter Henry. The Raiders allowed back-to-back third-down conversions as part of the scoring drive, which went 78 yards in 12 plays and 7:29.
Herbert never missed, completing all six pass attempts for a total of 75 yards. Las Vegas got the ball first but went three-and-out.
Inactives report
The Raiders acknowledged their injury situation would be bad for tonight’s home game against the Chargers. Turns out, it’s even worse than expected.
Cornerback Nevin Lawson was a surprise inclusion on the just-released inactives, next to fellow defensive backs Damon Arnette and Jonathan Abram, linebacker Nicholas Morrow and defensive end Clelin Ferrell. Coach Jon Gruden announced the latter four would miss the must-win Week 15 game Friday, but the plan was for Lawson to fill in and start in Arnette’s place.
That now won’t be happening, with Isaiah Johnson and Keisean Nixon likely now picking up the snaps.
Johnson was the savior in the first game against the Chargers, and now the Raiders may need a similar performance out of him again. Lawson missed practice the last two days with an illness, and presumably isn't feeling well enough to play tonight.
Kickoff is set for 5:20 p.m. Stick around for live coverage all night and read the preview from the Las Vegas Sun print edition below.
WEEK 15
• Who: Chargers (4-9) at Raiders (7-6)
• When: 5:20 p.m.
• Where: Allegiant Stadium
• TV: Fox 5 Las Vegas, NFL Network
• Radio: Raider Nation Radio 920 AM, KOMP 92.3
• Betting line: Raiders -3, over/under 53.5
The Raiders have lost three of their last four games to make a wild-card playoff spot they sat in a month ago look like a long shot. To make the postseason, Las Vegas will need, in all likelihood, to win its final three games, starting tonight, and hope either the Baltimore Ravens lose one or the Cleveland Browns lose two. Any season-salvaging must start by improving what’s arguably been the NFL’s worst defense. The Raiders took the first step toward that end in the hours after their 44-27 loss to the Colts on Sunday, as coach Jon Gruden fired defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. Defensive line coach Rod Marinelli will step in as interim defensive coordinator. He may tweak some coverages and blitz packages, but it’s doubtful he can implement sweeping changes with only three days between games.
Favorable matchup: Josh Jacobs vs. Chargers’ rush defense
The Chargers rank second-to-last in the NFL in stopping the run by Football Outsiders’ DVOA ratings. Las Vegas took advantage in the teams’ first meeting, a 31-26 Raiders win on Nov. 8 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The Raiders rushed for more than 6 yards per carry despite dealing with extensive offensive line injuries and Jacobs, their lead back, playing at less than 100%. They’re much better positioned for success now. Right tackle Trent Brown returned from a lengthy coronavirus absence against the Colts to make the offensive line as healthy as it’s been all season. Jacobs also came back from an ankle injury that saw him miss one game with no ill effects reported after the game. He’s practiced going into the Chargers’ game, meaning his ankle has presumably improved and inched him closer to full strength.
Problematic matchup: Austin Ekeler vs. Raiders’ rush defense
The Raiders rank dead-last in the NFL in stopping the run by Football Outsiders’ DVOA ratings. It’s been their biggest issue in the last two weeks as the Colts and Jets have combined to average nearly 6.5 yards per carry against the Raiders. Las Vegas caught a break in its trip to Los Angeles this season as it came in the middle of an injured-reserve stint for Chargers running back Austin Ekeler, who returned from a hyperextended knee three weeks ago. Ekeler has sparked Los Angeles’ offense since he came back, averaging 114 yards from scrimmage per game. He actually has more receiving yards than rushing yards in the last three games, which should come as no surprise considering the passing game is where the former undrafted free agent has long shined.
THEY SAID IT
• “I think it’ll help Paul in the long run probably, getting away from me. Certainly, we thank him for everything he has done but we needed a new voice right now. I think we need a new energy.” -Coach Jon Gruden on the defensive coordinator switch from Paul Guenther to Rod Marinelli
• “People bring this age thing up, like I’ll tell you what now — I want to see them step in my shoes and have my juice,OK?” -Interim defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli on whether being 71 years old has affected his energy on the sidelines
• “As I’m getting older, as I’m in my seventh year, the patience I have, I guess I have a short fuse for certain things…I guess it’s the sense of urgency. I spend so much time here (at Raiders’ headquarters). I spend so much time doing everything I can for this organization to help us win. I just want more than anything for our fans to see us in the playoffs.” -Quarterback Derek Carr on his demeanor at practice this week
• “Trust me, that was a tough loss when you’ve won the game and then you get a call that you’ve lost a game.” -Chargers coach Anthony Lynn on where the loss to the Raiders earlier in the season ranks among the teams’ many endgame defeats this year
Gamebreaker: Kicker Daniel Carlson
If you forget about the records and the narratives surrounding both teams and instead focus on the numbers and season-long efficiency levels, then this looks like an incredibly close matchup. It certainly was evenly matched the first time these two teams played, as it took an overturned touchdown on the final play of the game for the Raiders to escape with a victory. Every point may matter in another potentially tight game. Las Vegas should therefore find some solace in having Carlson, who’s been one of the NFL’s best kickers this season in making 26 of 28 field-goal attempts and 38 of 39 extra points. Los Angeles’s Michael Badgley has been much less reliable, converting 19 of 26 field-goal attempts and 28 of 31 extra points. The gap is similar on special teams as a whole as Las Vegas’ have been solid across the board all year while Los Angeles rates last in the category by DVOA.
Big Number: 114
Las Vegas leads the NFL with 114 missed tackles on the year, showing that its problems stretch beyond schematics. The Raiders have also been fundamentally poor on defense. The biggest offender has been its highest-paid defensive player as linebacker Cory Littleton sits at 15 missed tackles, second in the NFL despite the fact that he missed two games with COVID-19. Las Vegas’ last line of defense hasn’t been much better as free safety Erik Harris (12 missed tackles) and strong safety Jonathan Abram (9) are also in the NFL’s top 60. Pro Football Focus not surprisingly grades the Raiders as the worst tackling team in the NFL. Marinelli is stressing increased discipline and physicality, so seeing if that results in surer tackling against the Chargers will be something to watch.
Best Bet: Hunter Renfrow over 39.5 receiving yards
Quarterback Carr says Renfrow wants to “prove a point” after a fourth-quarter fumble deep in the Raiders’ own territory helped seal their loss to the Colts. The slot receiver should have ample chance to prove it against the Chargers considering they’ve struggled to defend the middle of the field in the passing game all season. That’s where Renfrow is best. He had two catches for 60 yards against the Chargers earlier this season and had a career game against them last year with nine catches for 107 yards. He’s usually surehanded too, as the fumble against the Colts was only the second of his career and the first one recovered by the opposing team. The giveaway won’t deter Carr from looking for Renfrow. “I love the guy,” Carr said. “I trust him with everything in me.”