Two NFL teams caught in the wrinkle between where they were and where they are headed will meet on a soccer field south of Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon to play out their schedules.
The Oakland Raiders technically have a chance to still find their way into the playoffs, but so much needs to fall their way that narrowing their focus just to their game against the Los Angeles Chargers is all that makes sense.
The Raiders (6-8) finished out the Oakland portion of their schedule Sunday with a dud of a farewell, a 20-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars after giving up 14 points in the fourth quarter.
The Raiders have two road games remaining before the end of the season and the beginning of their journey to Las Vegas, where they will set up shop southwest of the famed Strip for the start of the 2020 season.
Officially eliminated from playoff consideration, the Chargers (5-9) will enter Sunday’s game after going scoreless in the second half at home against Minnesota and losing 39-10 last weekend.
The Chargers also will be on the move after two more games, leaving cozy Dignity Health Sports Park, home of the MLS’s Los Angeles Galaxy, and moving 12 miles away into a shared home with the Los Angeles Rams.
On a four-game losing streak, the Raiders not only need to win their last two games but, among all of the scenarios that need to fall their way, the Tennessee Titans and the Pittsburgh Steelers need to lose twice.
Winning the two games might be the hardest part. The Raiders started fast against the Jaguars when quarterback Derek Carr threw for 148 yards in the first quarter. He then threw for 119 the rest of the way as Oakland failed to preserve a 10-point lead in the final quarter.
“So, you can sulk and be sad and sit there and complain and point fingers and things like that,” Carr told reporters after the defeat. “But you can point all the fingers at me. That’s OK.”
The Raiders’ losing streak has come after a three-game winning streak that included a 26-24 home victory over the Chargers. That time, the late rally belonged to Oakland as Josh Jacobs scored on an 18-yard run with 1:02 to play. Carr had 218 yards passing and one TD.
The Chargers topped the Jaguars two weeks ago, 45-10 in Jacksonville. Philip Rivers had 314 yards passing and three TDs in that game to end a three-game losing streak, but he followed that against the Vikings with three interceptions.
Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark Sunday for the third consecutive season, while Rivers reached 4,000 yards passing for the seventh consecutive season, but team joy was fleeting.
Rivers, 38, doesn’t have a contract beyond this season so he is focused on the present.
“I think this is a unique situation in terms of my contract being up, it being a bit of a bumpy year to say the least, and you just don’t know that uncertainty,” Rivers said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Even moreso now, these last two against Oakland and Kansas City … you take it all in just in case.”
The Raiders had a walkthrough Wednesday and Jacobs (shoulder), guard Richie Incognito (ankle), tackle Trent Brown (pectoral) and linebacker Marquel Lee (toe) did not participate. Chargers offensive tackle Russell Okung (groin) also did not practice Wednesday.
