After losing four straight games, the Oakland Raiders finally put one in the win column, beating division rival Los Angeles on the road.
The Oakland Raiders needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive on Sunday, and they took care of business on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers. In a wild playoff scenario, Oakland needed the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and Carolina Panthers to all lose on Sunday, and they all did in the early window.
With a chance to continue their playoff dreams, the Raiders got the party started early, deferring the kickoff, stopping the Chargers, and then putting points on the board. Derek Carr, who has been under the microscope in recent weeks, hit rookie wideout Hunter Renfrow for a 56-yard touchdown, putting the Silver and Black up 7-0.
That would be the score entering the second quarter, and after penalties helped the Chargers tie the game up at 7-7 on a Melvin Gordon touchdown run, the Raiders moved the ball down the field to score with under ten seconds left in the half. Carr was magnificent on the drive, completing pass after pass, before running it in to give the team a 14-7 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Raiders actually were able to muster up some points in the third quarter, something they have failed to do in recent weeks. On their first drive of the half, DeAndre Washington scored from five yards out, giving the Silver and Black a 21-7 lead.
Los Angeles would go go away, as they responded with a long drive of their own, and found the end zone on the second rushing touchdown by Gordon. A Daniel Carlson field goal from 48 yards would put the Raiders up by 10, leading to another exciting finish in this rivalry.
The Chargers drove down the length of the field after getting the ball back after a Raiders three-and-out, but had to settle for a field goal. During that drive, Raiders rookie cornerback Trayvon Mullen suffered a devastating injury from a friendly fire hit by Curtis Riley, and had to be carted off the field.
With the score 24-17, the Chargers went for the onside kick, which was recovered by the Raiders, On third-and-11, Washington rumbled for the first down with under a minute left in the game, sealing the seventh win of the season for the Raiders.
As the Raiders head to Week 17, they are miraculously still alive in the AFC playoff picture, and we can now look forward to more meaningful December football.
Here are our three stars from the win on Sunday.