Raiders visit Chargers, Rivers for reality check
Sunday will be a reality check for the Oakland Raiders when they visit the Los Angeles Chargers for the 117th renewal of what is still an intra-state rivalry. Kickoff is 1:05 PM (PT), California time.
The Raiders are full of Pride and Poise after managing their first win of the season in Oakland Sunday, a 45-42 overtime triumph over the bad news Browns and their rookie quarterback, Baker Mayfield, in his debut as a starter.
But wild celebrations were understandable for Raider Nation because it was the first win of the season for a team that proudly carries its 1-3 record to Los Angeles in an attempt to seek validation.
And that might not come easily. Unlike the Cleveland Browns, these Chargers and their very veteran quarterback do know how to win. Well, much of the time. The Chargers, now 2-2, opened last season 0-4, then stormed back to win six of their last seven and almost made the playoffs at 9-7.
But for Raiders fans day-dreaming that their own team might do such a thing, snap out of it. Mathematicians (or oddsmakers who play with numbers for a living) determine the Raiders go into this game with only a five percent chance to make the playoffs.
So get serious. Harken the classic rant of former NFL head coach Jim Mora (Sr.), who melted down over such talk about his 2000 New Orleans Saints, hollering “Playoffs? Don’t talk about — playoffs?! You kidding me? Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game! Another game!”
It was a perfect speech for the Raiders this week, despite being 18 years later. The Raiders are facing a talented team that was actually a darkhorse to win the AFC West because the Chargers quarterback is a savvy veteran, Philip Rivers.
Unlike Rivers and despite constant improvement during this season, the Raiders’ Derek Carr still is not a sure-fire franchise quarterback, despite his five-year $125 million extension in 2017.
Against the Browns, Carr completed 35 of 58 passes for 437 yards and four touchdowns. But there were two interceptions, one at the end of the half with the team in position for a tying field goal.
“It’s not good enough yet,” head coach Jon Gruden said after the game. “He has spectacular talent, he is a great kid. He’s going to be fine in this offense. We keep raising the bar with him and try not to ever get satisfied. It’s a pleasure coaching him. He showed a lot of great recognition. That is a hard defense. … and he hung in there and played his best when we needed him the most.”
Carr has completed 120-of-169 passes for 1,373 yards, second only to Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger in the AFC, but with seven interceptions and six touchdowns.
Against San Francisco last week, Rivers collected three touchdowns vs. one pick while throwing for 250 yards, pushing him into eighth place in NFL history with 51,504 yards passing, surpassing John Elway’s 51,475.
When Gruden met the media Wednesday, it was hard to miss that he was far more effusive about Rivers than he was Carr. Sure some gamesmanship is involved. But so was there truth.
“He’s one of my favorite players,” Gruden said of Rivers. “Not only a great performer, he’s a great competitor. He’s durable. He’s tough. Look at the number of players that he’s played with. Different backs, different linemen, different receivers, different coaches, different systems. He’s going to be a handful for us. Great opportunity for our defense to show their improvement.”
SERIES HISTORY: 117th regular-season meeting. Raiders lead series, 62-52-2. The Chargers swept the Raiders last year, the first time that happened since 2014. Rivers was on board for part of the amazing streak when the Chargers beat the Raiders 13 straight times from 2003-2009. There were historic postseason clashes, with the Raiders beating the Chargers in the 1981 AFC Conference Championship Game. The Chargers were also on the losing end of the “Holy Roller” play, due to the art and craft of quarterback Ken Stabler.