Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers at a glance
THE PARTICULARS
Opponent: at San Diego
Time: 1:05 p.m.
Line: Chargers by 4
Records: Raiders 2-3, Chargers 2-4
TV/Radio: Ch. 13 (Andrew Catalon, Steve Tasker, Steve Beuerlein), 1140
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
Rivers rolling: Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is coming off an epic performance in a gut-wrenching 27-20 loss at Green Bay. He set team records by completing 43 of 65 passes for 503 yards. He couldn’t get the final three yards to tie the score, though; his pass to Danny Woodhead in the closing seconds was batted down by rookie cornerback Damarious Randall. Rivers leads the NFL with 177 attempts, 253 completions and 2,116 yards. The Raiders allow 299.2 passing yards per game, last in the league.
CHECK THE MAP: One of the biggest punches to the gut for Chargers fans came in August, when former NFL executive Carmen Policy, who’s marshaling Carson’s effort to land an NFL team (or two), said: “The Chargers and Raiders are committed to Los Angeles.” Policy envisions a “megamarket” stretching from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. Asked if he thinks Chargers fans would drive to Carson to cheer on the beloved Bolts, Policy said: “We don’t expect it, but we’re going to work on it. We’re hoping they’re going to follow the Chargers to Southern California.” Uh, wait – where’s San Diego?
Bye blues: The Raiders are coming off their bye week. While the extra rest might be good for some teams, it has hurt the Raiders. Oakland has lost 11 of its last 12 post-bye games, including at home against San Diego last season. The only win in that span came in 2013 against Pittsburgh.
Tale of two halves: Raiders rookie wide ceiver Amari Cooper has been a different player in the first half of games than the second. Oakland has done a good job getting Cooper involved early, and he has caught 18 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns before halftime, but he has just 10 catches for 75 yards after halftime as defenses adjust and Michael Crabtree plays a bigger role in the offense. Coach Jack Del Rio said the team will try to get Cooper more involved, within reason.
Hang on, Melvin: Chargers rookie running back Melvin Gordon is looking for redemption after being benched Sunday, when he fumbled twice, losing one. “I am eager to go out there and just prove to myself and prove to everyone that I can take care of the football and I can go out there and do what they need,” said Gordon, who has lost three of his four fumbles this season.
INJURY REPORT
RAIDERS
Out: DL Denico Autry (concussion)
Doubtful: DT Justin Ellis (ankle)
Probable: RB Taiwan Jones (foot), RB Latavius Murray (shoulder), S Charles Woodson (should/knee)
CHARGERS
Out: CB Craig Mager (hamstring), S Eric Weddle (groin), LB Tourek Williams (foot)
Doubtful: LB Manti Te’o (ankle)
Questionable: T Chris Hairston (ankle), WR Keenan Allen (hip), RB Melvin Gordon (ankle), TE Antonio Gates (knee), C Chris Watt (groin), WR Stevie Johnson (hamstring), T King Dunlap (concussion)
Probable: S Jahleel Addae (back), LB Kyle Emanuel (shoulder), G D.J. Fluker (ankle), G Orlando Franklin (ankle)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Schedule
DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT |
Sept. 13 | vs. Cincinnati | L, 33-13 |
Sept. 20 | vs. Baltimore | W, 37-33 |
Sept. 27 | at Cleveland | W, 27-20 |
Oct. 4 | at Chicago | L, 22-20 |
Oct. 11 | vs. Denver | L, 16-10 |
Oct. 18 | Bye | |
DATE | OPPONENT | TIME |
Oct. 25 | at San Diego | 1:05 p.m. |
Nov. 1 | vs. N.Y. Jets | 1:05 p.m. |
Nov. 8 | at Pittsburgh | 10 a.m. |
Nov. 15 | vs. Minnesota | 1:05 p.m. |
Nov. 22 | at Detroit | 10 a.m. |
Nov. 29 | at Tennessee | 10 a.m. |
Dec. 6 | vs. Kansas City | 1:05 p.m. |
Dec. 13 | at Denver | 1:05 p.m. |
Dec. 20 | vs. Green Bay | 1:05 p.m. |
Dec. 24 | vs. San Diego | 5:25 p.m. |
Jan. 3 | at Kansas City | 10 a.m. |
This story was originally published October 24, 2015 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers at a glance."