Report Card: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers

A post-game breakdown of the Oakland Raiders win over the San Diego Chargers, handing out letter grades to each positional group.

After the Thursday Night loss to the division rival Kansas City Chiefs, the Oakland Raiders bounced back with yet another win in Raider-esque fashion, coming from behind to beat the San Diego Chargers by a score of 19-16.

There were some things in this game to be very hopeful about, as well as some things that could be a cause for concern going down the road. Here’s a breakdown.

Aug 18, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Offense

Quarterback

Derek Carr had another ‘so-so’ game by his standards. Carr went 19/30 for 213 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception, and he had a a QBR of 57.2 — a relatively pedestrian stat-line compared to what we have seen earlier in the year.

Not being able to take snaps from under center has hurt the red zone offense immensely the past two weeks. Although the stats do not look gaudy, Carr was able to go 6 of 9 for 111 yards with a QB rating of 109.0 when pressured. Carr has made enormous strides in this area compared to his rookie season, and he’s also made significant improvement in this area even based on last season.

Considering all of that, it goes without saying that Carr has been the leading force behind the Raiders clinching their first playoff birth since the 2002 Super Bowl season. Whether it was pretty or not, the Raiders were able to capitalize on a Chiefs loss and move back atop the AFC West, and are now in control of their own path moving forward, and their quarterback was a huge part in that.

Grade: C+

Running Backs

The running game has officially turned the corner, and it has come at a great time. Although Latavius Murray had a momentum killing red zone fumble, he still led all running backs with 13 carries for 81 yards, and had long runs of 33 yards and 27 yards.

Jalen Richard aka ‘The Pocket Rocket’ came in and once again made an impact as a change-of-pace back, just as he has done all season. Richard had 6 carries for 36 yards as well as 4 receptions for 13 yards out of the backfield.

Was there a DeAndre Washington sighting yesterday in San Diego? After being a healthy scratch for the past few games, Washington came in and contributed with 5 carries for 23 yards and 1 reception for 11 yards.

The running back group as a whole put up 145 yards on 29 carries for an average of 5 yards per carry, and they did this against a top 10 rushing defense. That, ladies and gentlemen, is impressive. And it could not be coming at a better time, considering the playoffs are less than a month away.

Grade: B+

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

The wide receivers were subpar Sunday afternoon. Other than Michael Crabtree, there were not really any impact plays on the stat sheet. Crabtree led the way with 6 receptions for 60 yards and the lone touchdown for the Raiders offense. Amari Cooper had only 1 reception for 28 yards, Seth Roberts had 2 receptions for 27 yards and Andre Holmes chipped in with a 23-yard reception.

One way or another, Bill Musgrave must find a way to get Cooper more involved. Over the past four games, Cooper has had only 12 receptions for 138 yards.

The tight ends had another below average performance. Mychal Rivera and Clive Walford combined for 2 receptions for 28 yards, but Rivera in particular dropped a crucial 29=yard reception early in the 4th quarter which would end up stalling a drive.

Grade: C

Offensive Line

The offensive line has proven all season long that they are elite. They proved it once again Sunday afternoon. Although as a group they allowed 2 sacks, you could make an argument that one of those sacks was due to Derek Carr for holding onto the ball for a little too long.

The offensive line opened up huge holes for the running backs, which was the main reason Latavius Murray and Jalen Richard were able to break those big runs that they did. The O-Line helped in gashing the Chargers run defense for nearly 150 yards.

Donald Penn continued to play at an elite level and deserves All-Pro consideration, as he has not allowed a single sack all season.

Grade: A-

Dec 28, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Khalil Mack (52) leaves the field against the Denver Broncos in the third quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 47-14. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Defense

Defensive Line

The defensive line had another stellar performance. The run defense has greatly improved in recent weeks; this week they gave up 73 yards on 22 carries, which was good for 3.3 yards per carry.

Denico Autry was able to provide pressure up the middle, which greatly helped the Raiders edge rushers, and Autry was able to accumulate a sack because of the edge rush making Phillip Rivers step up in the pocket. Team effort.

Khalil Mack was a man amongst boys against San Diego. Although Mack was not able to join the party with a sack, effectively ending his 8-game sack streak, he had a complete game with a league high 9 pressures as well as 3 quarterback hits, and was nearly unstoppable against the run.

The defensive line is finally starting to come together after giving up a season low 263 yards, and with the eventual addition of Mario Edwards Jr., the sky is the limit for this defensive unit.

Grade: A-

Linebackers

The linebackers had their best performance of the season in my book. Perry Riley Jr. was able to force a much needed fumble early in the 4th quarter, which helped the Raiders tie the score and gave the defense confidence for the remainder of the game. Malcolm Smith added 5 tackles as well as the alert play of recovering the forced fumble.

Bruce Irvin had his best game as a Raider by putting up 2 huge sacks as well as providing pressure on the final Chargers offensive drive. While breathing down Phillip Rivers’ neck the entire game, Irvin was also a co-leader in tackles with 6, and forced a fumble in the 1st half which forced a San Diego punt. Irvin is now tied with Mack for a league leading 5 forced fumbles this season.

Grade: B+

Secondary

The secondary had another up and down game, which has been a reoccurring theme the entire season. Although they (Sean Smith) did give up a 47-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the game, they were able to settle down and only give up 159 yards for the remainder of the game.

Sean Smith had a rough day by giving up 2 touchdowns as well as being beat by Tyrell Williams on a couple of occasions. Reggie Nelson at times has looked very slow, and it looks like the Raiders might need to explore other options at free agency this coming offseason, but Nelson did come up with the game clinching interception and his team-leading 4th interception of the year.

David Amerson was the co-leader in tackles with 6, and came up huge on a 3rd and short in which he was able to tackle the Chargers receiver well short of the first down. Amerson also pitched in with a single pass defensed.

Grade: B

Dec 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders placekicker Sebastian Janikowski (11) kicks a 44-yard field goal out of the hold of Marquette King (7) with 2:42 left against the San Diego Chargers during a NFL football game at Qualcomm Stadium. The Raiders defeated the Chargers 19-16. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams

The special teams units have been solid all season, and yet again put together another quality performance. The kick coverage had a big impact on field position by only giving up 14 yards per return, as well as a single punt return for 3 yards. There was no Marquette King dance moves in this one, but it was still a good enough performance to get the win.

Sebastian Janikowski has been the subject of criticism all season. Can we all just take a moment to appreciate our field goal kicker? Seabass was 4-4 on field goals and made his only extra point, and has now made 13 straight field goals.

On the season he is 29-35 which is good for nearly 83 percent and has not missed an extra point all season. In a league where field goal kicking has become a near abomination, the Raiders are lucky to have a kicker, while not perfect, that is as reliable as Seabass on their roster.

Grade: A+