Team Grades: Chargers Outslug Raiders In 13-6 Affair
By Dave Thomas
For those fans sitting through Sunday's Oakland at San Diego NFL contest, they may have thought they were attending a punting clinic.
Both offenses were downright offensive, while the Chargers did enough on the defensive end of the ball to snap their three-game losing streak, sweeping the season series from the Raiders with a 13-6 win in front of nearly 67,000 fans.
On a day when San Diego QB Philip Rivers looked human by twice needing assistance to get off the field, the Chargers bottled up Oakland rookie QB Derek Carr and the Raiders' offense, sending Oakland to an 0-10 record (only winless team in the NFL).
Both Offenses Struggle Mightily
With not a cloud in the sky and dry conditions on the ground, you would think both offenses would have been able to move the ball up and down the field and put points on the board. Think again.
The two teams combined for a startling 18 punts (nine each), making both offenses look like they would have trouble playing with some of the top college squads on this day.
While San Diego's offense was mediocre at best, Oakland proved to be even worse.
When all was said and done, the Raiders finished with a mere nine first downs, going a miserable 3-of-15 on third down conversions.
Carr, who seems to be Oakland's QB of the future despite having yet won an NFL game, finished 16-of-34 for 172 yards. His day started off rocky, as he fumbled the snap on the opening play, giving San Diego (Donald Butler recovered the fumble) the ball at Oakland's 22. The Chargers proceeded to get the game's only touchdown minutes later, with Rivers hitting Malcom Floyd in the right corner of the end zone on a 22-yard strike.
The rest of the day resulted in field goals (two by both teams) for the remaining points, with both teams squandering scoring opportunities by not being able to convert on key third down plays.
Yes, the Chargers will take the win, but it was about as ugly as they come.
TEAM GRADES:
OFFENSE (C) After being held scoreless (37-0) a week ago last Sunday in Miami, San Diego's offense wasn't exactly barnstorming on this Sunday afternoon. Chargers were a meager 4-of-15 on third down conversions, finishing with 300 yards of total offense (120 rushing). The return of starting running back Ryan Mathews (out since week two with a knee injury) did help, as the fifth-year back out of Fresno State finished the day with 70 yards on 16 carries. The biggest problem for San Diego was the offensive line's inability to give Rivers and the running game consistent protection. Rivers took a number of hits, including a pair that had him in noticeable pain (knee, chest). Although he finished the game, he likely needed a long time in an ice bath after this snoozer of an offensive performance by the team as a whole. Keenan Allen led San Diego's receivers with eight catches for 63 yards.
DEFENSE (B+) - While they were going against one of the weaker offenses and inexperienced QB's in the league, San Diego's defense came up time and time again with big plays to keep Oakland out of the end zone. Butler's recovery of the Carr fumble on the first play of the game was one of the highlights. Other top players included Marcus Gilchrist (six solo tackles) and Kavell Conner (five solo stops, one sack). San Diego's 'D' will have to continue to ramp up its game moving forward after next Sunday's visit from St. Louis, with Baltimore, New England and Denver the next three opponents.
For more Chargers news and updates, visit Chargers Central.
Dave Thomas has been covering the sports world since his first job as a sports editor for a weekly newspaper in Pennsylvania back in 1989. He has covered a Super Bowl, college bowl games, MLB, NBA and more. His work can be found on Examiner.com.