Raiders Keep Slim Playoff Chances Alive

Oakland Holds Off Chargers, 24-17, in What Seemed Like a Home Game

by Tom LaMarre

The Oakland Raiders are still alive.

The Raiders, playing their last two regular-season games on the road before moving to Las Vegas, held off the Los Angeles Chargers, 24-17, before what seemed like a home crowd at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., to snap a four-game losing streak and retain their slim playoff chances.

The Raiders (7-8) needed to the Indianapolis Colts win, while the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Tennessee Titans and the Cleveland Browns to lose on Sunday, and all of those things happened.

Oakland needs some of the same things to happen next week, but most of all the Silver and Black must beat the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium in their final regular-season game with Oakland as part of their name.

Coach Jon Gruden said the Raiders were not scoreboard watching.

“No, we were just concerned with what we were doing and that was a great win for our team,” said Gruden, whose played without several injured starters and lost a few more against the Chargers. “We’ve had a tough time lately and were just trying to win another game.

“We had a lot of men down and we lost three defensive tacks today, but we fought hard and found a way to win. “It was great to see so many Raiders fans our there. I can’t wait to get out to the parking lot and thank them.

“ … I’m just glad the officials didn’t screw up the clock again at the end of the game.”

Gruden was referring to a disputed call at the end of their final home game in Oakland last Sunday, when the Jacksonville Jaguars took advantage of extra time on the clock to knock off the Raiders with a touchdown in the final minute, 20-16.

This time, the Chargers (5-10) made it close on Michael Badgely’s 29-yard field goal with 2:03 left in the game, before tight end Darren Waller made his biggest play of the game, and it wasn’t a catch.

Los Angeles naturally tried an onside kick in hopes of getting the ball back for a chance to tie the game, but the football went right to Waller, who bobbled the ball before falling on it at the Chargers’ 49-yard-line.

“I just wanted to make sure it didn’t get away from me,” said Waller, who caught four passes for 37 yards. “I’m asked to do a lot of different things and am willing to do whatever they want.

”This was a great win for us. We rallied together and fought hard. We have to take care of out own business and not worry about all the scenarios.”

Three plays later on third-down-and-10, DeAndre Washington burst through the Chargers’ defense for 13 yards and a first down that allowed the Raiders to run out the clock.

Washington, replacing injured rookie star Josh Jacobs (shoulder), rushed for 85 yards on 23 carries and a five-yard touchdown that gave the Raiders a 21-7 lead with 6:16 left in the third quarter.

Oakland scored on its first possession of the game when Derek Carr hit rookie wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, back after missing three games because of a broken rib, over the middle and Renfrow broke away for a 56-yard touchdown.

“I did a lot of work and it was great to be back out there with the guys,” said Renfrow, who was brilliant with seven receptions for 107 yards. “It felt like a home game because there were so many Raiders fans, and it was fun to get the win.

“We just have to win again next week and see what happens.”

The Raiders, who probably tackled better than they have all season, held running back Melvin Gordon to 15 yards on nine carries, but he did tie the score, 7-7, with the first of his one-yard touchdown runs with 1:57 left in the first half

However, the Raiders took charge by scoring on Carr’s three-yard keeper around right end with 14 seconds left in the first half, and adding Washington’s scoring run after receiving the second half kickoff to open a two-touchdown lead.

“That’s why you want to defer when you win the coin toss,” said Carr, who completed 26-of-30 passes for 291 yards without an interception and outplayed Philip Rivers, who was 27-of-39 for 279 yards without a touchdown or an interception. “You want to take advantage of scoring at the end of the half and then taking the kickoff to start the second half and scoring again. We did that and then added a field goal to score on three straight possessions. …

“That was a great call (on his touchdown run). I came around the corner and just took off. I made sure I protected the football ball and got it in. I saw a guy in a Raiders jersey in the stands and just fired the ball to him.

“ … We’ve been through a lot of crap this season, so to still be playing for something in Week 17, that’s a big thing.”

So the Oakland Raiders have one more week to be relevant.