Chargers vs. Raiders: Key Matchups for Oakland

The Oakland Raiders face an uphill climb in their efforts to get back into the thick of things in the AFC West. Getting a win against division rival San Diego in Week 5 would be the perfect first step toward achieving this goal for coach Dennis Allen’s team.

The good news is that quarterback Terrelle Pryor is back in the starting lineup after sitting out Week 4 with concussion symptoms. Pryor participated in practice on Wednesday, and he's looking to show no lingering effects from the helmet-to-helmet hit he suffered against Denver on Sept. 23.

Having Pryor back is critical for Oakland. He is one of the team’s top playmakers on offense, and although he’s still raw in terms of his development as a passer, Pryor has a better feel for the Raiders’ receivers than Matt Flynn did a week ago.

Running back Darren McFadden is another story, though. McFadden sat out practice with a sore hamstring, and his status for Sunday’s game against the Chargers is uncertain.

Even if McFadden is held out, it probably won’t change the Raiders game plan much against a Chargers team that has been rejuvenated under first-year coach Mike McCoy.

Here’s a look at some of the key matchups for Sunday’s game, which is slated to begin at 8:35 p.m. PDT.

Oakland QB Terrelle Pryor vs. San Diego OLBs Larry English and Jarret Johnson

Oakland’s offense was completely stagnant while Pryor was on the sidelines against Washington last week, so his mere presence alone should provide a boost to the team this week.

Whether he’s healthy enough to shake the likes of English and Johnson is another matter.

Pryor is at his best when on the move, and the Raiders can best facilitate that by running the read-option. Oakland had a lot of success doing it in the first three games of the year but had to abandon it last week against Washington because of Flynn’s lack of mobility.

Some of Pryor’s best runs have come off the read-option—when he’s faked to a tailback up the middle then held onto the ball on a keeper run around the corner.

English and Johnson will be the two Chargers players assigned to prevent that from happening, though it may be easier said than done. The Chargers rank 25th in the NFL in total run defense and are giving up more than 25 points a game.

Ironically, Pryor has had his most success running in games that the Raiders have lost. Oakland’s only win this season came against Jacksonville in Week 2, and Pryor had only 50 yards on the ground in that game.

Oakland LB Kevin Burnett vs. San Diego TE Antonio Gates

Gates has had some of his biggest games against the Raiders. Now that he’s healthy and in a system better suited for his style, the Chargers’ big tight end is playing like his old self again.

Gates leads San Diego in receptions and receiving yardage, giving quarterback Philip Rivers a downfield that who can go deep when paired up against a linebacker.

Linebacker Kevin Burnett’s challenge will be in trying to keep Gates' production from getting out of hand. Burnett has struggled in coverage this season, especially when matched up against tight ends, and Rivers will almost certainly test that theory early.

For Burnett, the key is to not let Gates off the line scrimmage cleanly. Far too often, opposing teams have given Gates a free pass, allowing the big San Diego tight end to build up a head of steam before catching the ball.

Stopping or even slowing Gates down is often too much for one defender. Expect the Raiders to double-team him at some point with safety Charles Woodson or backup Usama Young.

Oakland WR Denarius Moore vs. San Diego CB Chareece Wright

Moore got off to a slow start in training camp, which then led into the regular season. However, he still could be the X-factor in the team's Sunday night game with San Diego.

The Chargers have the fourth-worst pass defense in the NFL and have recorded just nine sacks in four games. They also lost pass-rush specialist Dwight Freeney to a season-ending quad injury this week.

Moore has done most of his work on short and intermediate routes, but look for Oakland to test the deep waters against a San Diego secondary that has struggled to stop the pass this year. If nothing else, by throwing deep, the Raiders will force the Chargers to back off from stacking the box in order to stop the run.

Rod Streater has been Pryor’s favorite target, though defenses are gearing up more to stop the second-year pro. That should open the door for Moore to have a big game against Wright, who was slowed by nagging injuries earlier in the year.

Oakland LB Nick Roach vs. San Diego RB Ryan Matthews

As good as Philip Rivers has been this season, the Chargers won’t be able to do much outside of the division if they cannot run the ball effectively.

Roach, the former Chicago Bears middle linebacker who signed with Oakland this offseason, can’t let Sunday be the day when Matthews does get going.

It won’t be easy an easy task.

The Chargers will most likely come out throwing the ball to loosen up the Raiders defense, but they’ll also try to get the running game going as well.

A lot of that will depend on how well Oakland defensive linemen Vance Walker and Pat Sims play. The duo has been up and down against the run, which has made it difficult for linebackers like Roach to establish any kind of rhythm with the guys up front.

Oakland CB D.J. Hayden vs. San Diego QB Philip Rivers

Like Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning and Robert Griffin III before him, Rivers will almost certainly begin looking for the No. 25 jersey as soon as he steps on the field.

It’s not that Hayden has played so poorly; it’s that his status as an NFL rookie makes him attractive to opposing quarterbacks.

Though he primarily comes on when the Raiders go to their nickel defense, Hayden found himself lining up inside on multiple downs last week against Washington. He’ll be back on the outside against San Diego, and he must to do a better job with his technique.

For starters, the Raiders’ first-round draft pick has a tendency to give opposing receivers far too much room at the line of scrimmage. That’s how he got beat by Washington wide receiver Pierre Garcon on a 5-yard slant inside.

Because Rivers likes to take chances with his throws, this could also be a prime opportunity for Hayden to get his first NFL interception. Oakland is expected to blitz heavily, too, which could force Rivers into some early throws.

If that happens, Hayden has to stop being "almost there." He’s come close on multiple occasions but has yet to bring a ball home. 

Injury information courtesy of NFL.com.