Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers Full Report Card Grades for Oakland

In the same stadium where the Oakland Raiders played their last postseason game as the AFC Champion in Super Bowl 37, they clinched a 2017 playoff berth in a 19-16 victory over the San Diego Chargers.

Kicker Sebastian Janikowski’s football life came full circle after the final buzzer. He endured that Super Bowl loss with the 2002 team. On Sunday, his leg contributed 12 points in field goals, including a 44-yarder with 2:40 left in the game that put the Silver and Black in the lead for the win.

Janikowski deserves a game ball for his long-suffering commitment and the ability to go 4-of-4 in a postseason-clinching contest. At times, the Raiders offense moved the ball efficiently but committed turnovers or stalled in Chargers territory. The all-time leader in games played as a Raider remained steady and delivered in the clutch.

Clearly, quarterback Derek Carr has an issue with his finger. He continued to take snaps out of the shotgun or pistol formation and struggled with ball placement. 

Despite Carr’s struggles and Latavius Murray’s two uncharacteristic fumbles, the Raiders defense held firm. Oakland only allowed six points in the second half and didn’t allow any hope for a late comeback on the final drive. Pass-rushers Bruce Irvin and Khalil Mack forced a final three-and-out with intense pocket pressure, which led to poor throws and an interception.

There’s some concern about Carr and the limitations for the offense in the shotgun or pistol formation, but the defense has shown the ability to limit opposing offenses with timely turnovers. As of late, they've also clamped down on the opponent in the second half.

Eventually, Carr must find his rhythm to propel his team to the Super Bowl. However, with defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. and safety Karl Joseph on the mend, the Raiders could have a defense that’s capable of offsetting offensive lapses in a low-scoring contest.

As for Sunday’s game, how did the defense perform? In what areas did the offense falter and flourish?

Quarterback

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Carr played his worst game as a pro against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14. He showed a decent improvement against the Chargers. However, the Raiders' signal-caller isn't performing at optimal levels. Strangely, he locked on wideout Michael Crabtree on a few plays and completely forgot about the AC-DC Connection with wide receiver Amari Cooper.

Otherwise, he still shows the same fire and willingness to do what it takes for a victory. He scrambled eight yards downfield for a first down in Chargers territory, which led to Janikowski’s game-winning field goal.

Carr completed 63 percent of his passes, but he also threw an interception at the Chargers’ 16-yard line. The Raiders’ signal-caller experienced his highs and lows but did enough to move the ball into field-goal range on certain drives.

Grade: C

Running Backs

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Despite the limited formation, the Raiders running backs ran well between the 20-yard lines but struggled closer to the goal line. Murray came into this contest without a single fumble. He inexplicably laid the ball on the ground in back-to-back drives.

Nonetheless, Oakland outrushed San Diego 145-73. Each ball-carrier in the Raiders’ running back trio bit into the Chargers run defense and ripped off chunk yardage. Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington and Murray each logged at least five rush attempts and averaged more than 4.5 yards per carry.

Grade: A-

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

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As Carr struggles, so do his receivers. Crabtree hauled in the Raiders’ only touchdown in a position only a ballerina could duplicate on stage. The referees initially ruled his catch incomplete but overturned the call upon further review.

Cooper continued his quiet streak as a receiver. He caught one pass for 28 yards.

Carr tried to feed his tight ends, but Mychal Rivera and Clive Walford each finished with just one reception for 15 and 13 yards, respectively. 

Grade: C

Offensive Line

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The Raiders allowed two sacks. Chargers pass-rusher Joey Bosa burst through the offensive line to record his third sack on Carr in two games. Fortunately, the front line created holes for the running backs, which helped move the ball downfield.

Oakland’s ground attack matched power and scheme against the No. 7 run defense in the league and won most of the battles in the trenches. Carr’s ability to scramble masked some of the deficiencies in pass protection. He ran the ball five times.

Grade: B

Defensive Line

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Mack didn’t record a sack, which ends his eight-game streak. However, his ability to garner extra help in blocking schemes opened the pocket for defensive lineman Denico Autry, who logged his third sack of the year.

More importantly, the Raiders didn’t allow Chargers running back Kenneth Farrow to find his groove and hit open lanes on the ground. San Diego’s rushing offense averaged 3.3 yards per carry, which limited its options in attacking the defense.

Grade: A

Linebackers

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The Raiders linebacker unit played its best game to date. Irvin notched two sacks. After stuffing Farrow up the middle, Perry Riley ripped the football from his grasp. Fellow linebacker Malcolm Smith recovered the loose ball at the Chargers’ 16-yard line, which led to a game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter. 

Chargers tight end Hunter Henry secured a touchdown pass, but neither he nor Antonio Gates ran a track meet when matching up against the Raiders linebacker corps. Both Irvin and Smith made crucial plays in a strong overall defensive effort.

Grade: A

Secondary

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Cornerback Sean Smith continues to struggle against speedy receivers. It’s clear the Raiders must use their safeties strategically to minimize matchup disadvantages on the perimeter. On certain downs, Rivers specifically targeted Smith in coverage.

In the second half, the Raiders pass defense tightened up and held Philip Rivers to fewer than 210 passing yards in total, which is a significant improvement compared to his 359-yard performance in Week 5.

Grade: B

Special Teams

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Special teams ultimately won the game for the Raiders. In his 17th season, Janikowski continues to split the uprights almost automatically inside 50 yards. On Sunday, he didn’t miss an attempt.

Unlike the Chargers' special teams, which put the Raiders on the 40-yard line with a kickoff out of bounds and missed an extra point, Oakland’s group didn’t experience any hiccups. Punter Marquette King also honored head coach Jack Del Rio’s wishes and toned down his behavior after punts.

Grade: A 

Coaching Staff

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The Raiders’ discipline goes almost unnoticed. On Sunday, Oakland only committed two penalties for 15 yards. The offense made some costly errors through turnovers, but the team didn’t allow penalties to compound miscues on execution.

Many have called for defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr.’s head, but his unit turned in another strong performance, specifically in the second half. The Raiders defense took the field and closed the book on another game with a ferocious pass rush led by Irvin and Mack.

Grade: B

Stats provided by NFL.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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