Las Vegas Raiders vs Los Angeles Chargers: 3 things to watch in Week 18

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) celebrates with Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (13) after scoring a touchdown Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) celebrates with Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (13) after scoring a touchdown Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Raiders vs Herbert
Oct 4, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) battles against Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Storm Norton (74) as Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) drops back to pass during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /

Las Vegas Raiders vs Los Angeles Chargers: 3 things to watch

Stopping Justin Herbert

The last time these two teams met up inside SoFi Stadium back in Week 4, Justin Herbert pretty much had his way with this Raiders defense. The second-year starter threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns against the Raiders, utilizing a combination of former Silver and Black tight end Jared Cook, as well as star wideout Keenan Allen.

In this matchup, the Raiders will have to deal with Mike Williams, who had only one catch in the last meeting, something that is not likely to happen again on Sunday night. The Chargers are very healthy going into this matchup, and Herbert is playing at a high level, coming off a solid performance against Denver his last time out.

For the Raiders to have any chance of beating the Chargers on Sunday night, they have to get Herbert off his spot and do more of what the Houston Texans did against him a few weeks back. This is a Raiders defense that is playing at a much higher level than they were back in Week 4, and with how strong they have been upfront, as well as in the secondary, they should have much more success against this elite quarterback in Week 18.