Keys and Predictions for Raiders vs Chargers
Gameday is here on a Thursday for the first time for the Las Vegas Raiders this season as they get ready to take on the Los Angeles Chargers.
As usual, there are certain keys that the Raiders will need to hit in order to win, and we’ll be getting into that as well as final predictions below.
Get your identity back
With the way the Raiders have played the last few weeks, you wouldn’t know that they’re at home when they can run the ball down the opponent’s throat.
That’s head coach Jon Gruden's mantra, but they haven’t lived up to that the last three weeks by only averaging a little over 63 yards per game on the ground.
Josh Jacobs missing one game didn’t help those matters, but in two of those games, they played below-average defenses in the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Jets and couldn’t average better than 3.1 yards a carry.
If the Raiders want to get back to their level of play they had a month ago, they need to reestablish their running game.
That kind of performance is comparable to when they had 160 yards and two touchdowns in the first game against the Chargers.
Survive the war of attrition on defense
The Raiders are, of course starting over on defense this week with Rod Marinelli as the new defensive coordinator.
Marinelli is going to have to do that on a short week and without four starters on defense. Clelin Ferrell, Damon Arnette, Johnathan Abram, and Nicholas Morrow are all out due to injuries.
With multiple first-round picks now out, what remains of the Raiders' depth needs to scratch and claw its way to a clutch performance.
If they can’t then, then the Raiders chances to make the playoffs this season could very well end.
Predictions
It’s basically do or die for the Raiders this week. They can’t afford another loss and have a realistic chance to make the playoffs.
With that in mind, I think the Raiders will come out with a lot of desperate energy and will play well early.
The Chargers though will have their chances against the Raider defense, and I think it’ll come down to the wire, but then with the Raiders making just enough plays to pull ahead.
Final: 34-30 Raiders.
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