The Oakland Raiders (3-9) will play under the lights of Thursday night football in San Diego when they meet the Chargers (4-8).
In this mid-week match-up, two teams who have struggled in 2008 will look to inflict some more pain into their divisional foe, as the Chargers are facing their first losing season since 2003, while the Raiders are in the midst of their sixth consecutive loss plagued campaign.
Oakland lost during their week four match-up when they failed to hold on to a 15-0 lead. The Chargers rallied to a 28-18 victory, scoring 25-points in the fourth quarter behind LaDainian Tomlinson’s 99-yard rushing in the 2nd half.
OAKLAND RAIDERS
On Offense:
After a 31-point explosion in Denver, the Raiders took a major step backwards last week in their home loss to the Chiefs.
Oakland opened up the offense a bit with some trick plays and their own version of the ‘Wildcat’ featuring Darren McFadden. But they failed to get into the offense and when they did have an opportunity to put points on the scoreboard, they bypassed those chances with questionable in-game management by Tom Cable and his staff.
“I think you need to be creative,” Cable said last weekend. “I think you have to have creativity. It certainly gives the players something to focus on, and a chance for them to go out and execute something that’s creative and have fun doing it.”
What to Expect:
The Raiders rank 29th in total offense and 30th in scoring. St. Louis is the only offense in the league with fewer touchdowns and since Oakland is on the road this week, expect them to keep it simple and on the ground. Justin Fargas has averaged 4.5 yards per carry in his last two games and last week, he scored his first touchdown in 2008. With McFadden healthy, the Raiders can pound away at San Diego’s 15th ranked rush defense. The Chargers have struggled defending the pass, as they are currently ranked 31st in the league (260.6). Problem is, JaMarcus Russell has been erratic and his targets are not reliable enough to show up on a weekly basis.
On Defense:
Kirk Morrison may be a team captain and leading the team in tackles. But the best linebacker currently on the Raiders roster is the speedster Thomas Howard.
Over the last few weeks, he has elevated his play and has chased down the likes of Ronnie Brown and Larry Johnson while recording his first interception of the season on the road in Denver, which set the Raiders up for a rare score.
Howard is playing the best football of his career on a unit once again struggling this season versus the run. But it isn’t because of a lack of effort on his part.
What to Expect:
Time to stack up the line of scrimmage and cross your fingers against Tomlinson.
Oakland actually handled their arch nemesis in the first half in week four to the tune of 7 yards on 5 carries. But Tomlinson has made it a career in thrashing the Silver & Black, and he came alive as the game wound down. With the secondary playing a lot better since the insertion of Chris Johnson to the starting line-up, it will be interesting to see how often Rob Ryan blitzes on early downs to put the Chargers in tough 3rd down situations.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
On Offense:
Tomlinson has not had a stellar season. His 3.7 yards per carry are below his norm and the 6 touchdowns on the ground are not characteristic of the type of seasons he has had in the past.
The Raiders struggle stopping the run. So if San Diego wants to get their rusher going, this may be the game to do it.
In contrast, Philip Rivers has enjoyed a solid season, ranking 2nd in the NFL in quarterback rating (100.5), tossing the second most touchdowns in the league (23) with a 65.0% passer completion rate.
The ball is well distributed when it’s in the air, as Antonio Gates (46 rec. 534 yards 6 TD), Tomlinson (44 rec. 371 yards 1 TD), Vincent Jackson (39 rec. 703 yards 5 TD), Chris Chambers (26 rec. 357 yards 5 TD) and Malcolm Floyd (21 rec. 379 yards 3 TD) are all capable playmakers for the Chargers.
What to Expect:
It will be a simple solution for offensive coordinator Clarence Shelmon and head coach Norv Turner. Give the ball to ‘LT’ and let him continue his dominant ways against the Raiders.
On Defense:
Shawne Merriman’s absence has hurt the Chargers.
Without him, they don’t get as much pressure on opposing quarterbacks as evidenced by their 23 sacks in 2008 and the way teams have torched them in the secondary.
“When you have a guy out there who is a game-changer, teams have to definitely scheme him, do different things, put packages in just to stop him or slow him down,” said Gates of his teammate. “I don’t really feel like you can stop a guy in this league who has the capabilities that Merriman has.”
The disparity in turnovers also has hurt the defense, as they have only recorded 14 turnovers in 12 games. Last season, they racked up 48 in leading the NFL.
What to Expect:
The Raiders are weak at both tackle spots. So if the Chargers generate pressure, it will be on edge blitzes and with ends Luis Castillo and Igor Olshansky. Shaun Phillips and Jyles Tucker are tied with the team lead in sacks with four.
GAME NOTES
- Tomlinson has compiled 1,491 rushing yards on 281 carries with 16 rushing touchdowns in his last 11 games against the Raiders. At an average of 25 carries and 135.5 yards per game, the dynamic running back has had some of his most memorable performances against the Raiders. Oh, and the aforementioned statistics do not include the receiving and passing numbers he has also tallied against Oakland.
- The Chargers have won the last 10-match-ups, but Oakland still leads the overall series 54-40-2.
- Zach Miller’s 14.9 yards per catch is tops for all NFL tight ends with 30 or more catches.
KEY MATCH-UPS
Tomlinson vs. the Raiders front-seven
If Tomlinson has a huge game, this won’t be a close contest. If the Raiders can corral him, they’ll stay close in the 4th quarter.
Can the Raiders balance their offensive attack?
The Chargers are horrid against the pass. But the Raiders are inept at getting any continuity in their aerial attack. So if they can run the ball effectively, maybe then Tom Cable can incorporate some play action, deeper routes and Miller into the offense to keep San Diego guessing.
PREDICTION
Chargers 28 – Raiders 13
TV & RADIO
The game will be televised on the NFL Network with Bob Papa providing play-by-play and Chris Collinsworth handling color analysis. The game will air locally on KGO Channel 7 in the Bay Area. The game will air on Raiders Radio originating on KSFO 560 AM, the Silver and Black Flagship for the multi-state Radio Network. Greg Papa and former Raiders player, assistant and head coach Tom Flores will man the booth for the 12th straight year. The radio pregame show and postgame show will feature Raider Legends George Atkinson and David Humm along with KGO’s Rich Walcoff. In addition, Westwood One/CBS Radio will air the game nationally with Dick Enberg and former NFL coach Dennis Green handling announcing duties. (Broadcast information cited from the official Raiders Web Site)
GAME INFO
Home Team: San Diego Chargers (4-8) Home: 3-3 Road: 1-5
Road Team: Oakland Raiders (3-9) Home: 1-5 Road: 2-4
When and Where: Thursday, December 4, 2008, 5:15 p.m. PT | Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
