RAIDERS (1-3) at CHARGERS (2-2)
When: Sunday, 1:05 p.m. PT
Where: StubHub Center
Line: Chargers by 5.5
TV/Radio: KCBS/2; 640-AM, 980-AM (Spanish)
CHARGERS OFFENSE VS. RAIDERS DEFENSE
Even as the Chargers piecemeal offensive line collapses around him, Philip Rivers manages to deliver, time and time again. He’s already thrown for 11 touchdowns in four weeks, tied for second-most among quarterbacks. This week, he may need to get rid of the ball even faster, as the Chargers are likely down to two inexperienced reserves at offensive tackle – one of whom, Trent Scott, is an undrafted rookie. If Khalil Mack were still with the Raiders, it might’ve been a long day for the Chargers offense. Without him, Oakland has barely produced any pressure to speak of. No team has fewer sacks (5) through the season’s first month. Only one defense (Kansas City) is allowing more yards per attempt on the ground than the Raiders (5.6). That could mean a big day for Chargers back Melvin Gordon, who really found his rhythm in the second half last week. EDGE: Chargers
RAIDERS OFFENSE VS. CHARGERS DEFENSE
With a vaunted pass rush and a shutdown secondary, the Chargers were supposed to be one of the NFL’s best defenses in 2018. That wasn’t the case in September. Over four games, the Chargers defense allowed 30 points per game, the fifth-worst mark in the league. Quarterbacks are averaging 8.7 yards per attempt against a secondary of Casey Hayward, Trevor Williams, Jahleel Addae and Derwin James. That’s concerning. Derek Carr hasn’t been perfect, either – he leads the league in interceptions (7), for one – but when he’s on his game, the Raiders vertical offense has been explosive, racking up 333 yards per game through the air. With an ageless Marshawn Lynch somehow still beasting his way over NFL defenses – averaging 4.4 yards per carry – the Raiders are going to put up some points this one. EDGE: Raiders
SPECIAL TEAMS
With a new holder on field goals, are all the Chargers’ kicking woes behind them? It remains to be seen. But Drew Kaser wasn’t providing much of a boost with his punting, either, and in veteran Donnie Jones, who has holding experience with kicker Caleb Sturgis, the Chargers at least know the process will be smooth. For whatever that’s worth. The Raiders lost their normal kicker before last week, and watched their newly signed kicker, Matthew McCrane, boot an overtime game-winner. He did miss two other field goals in his debut. Both teams rank in the bottom-third of the league in special teams DVOA, so we could see some mistakes here. EDGE: Even
COACHING
Only Bill Belichick is paid more as an NFL coach than Jon Gruden, and only one of those two has a record under-.500 over his past 100 games. The Gruden coaching experiment is ongoing, after he spent the last nine years as a commentator, but there have been signs that he’s making some headway. Nothing has gone all that smoothly for Anthony Lynn this season, as the Chargers have had four straight uneven games. There have been too many mistakes from both of these teams that is a factor, one way or another, of coaching. EDGE: Even
INTANGIBLES
Slow starts have haunted the Chargers all season, while the Raiders have a tendency to start fast and fall apart after halftime. That’ll be an interesting dynamic to watch in this matchup, as the Chargers attempt to reverse course on their bad habit of falling behind and staging huge comebacks. Oakland gained some serious confidence a week ago, winning its first game under Gruden. Could that carry over into this week? They’ll have enough fans at the StubHub Center to make it sound like a home game. EDGE: Even
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Raiders defensive line vs. Chargers offensive line. Both units are seriously shorthanded. One because of injury (Chargers), the other because the organization traded an All-Pro just before the season (Raiders). Oakland may have found a star in rookie defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, but otherwise, there isn’t much to worry about up front. The Chargers should consider themselves fortunate. While they’ll be relying on two inexperienced – and, so far, underwhelming – offensive tackles, this is about as soft of a landing spot as they could ask for.
PREDICTION
Chargers 31, Raiders 24
With a pair of struggling defenses taking on a pair of scorching offenses, there’s a lot of scoring potential here. Don’t be surprised if this game is decided by a key turnover. Only a few teams have given the ball away more than Oakland. Unless the Chargers shoot themselves in the foot – which can’t be ruled out at this point – Rivers and Co. should be able to outpace the Raiders.
