Story by Damien Leyva
Staff Writer
As the end of the regular NFL season is approaching, the hunt for playoff spots is beginning to heat up. Teams are battling every week as the games become more important and less and less playoff spots are available. One loss could make the difference between making the playoffs or watching other teams play on television.
For the remainder of the season, I will be writing about one team who had a big week or had a big victory. This week’s team has surprised the football world with their strong start surpassing expectations, reaching their season-high in wins since the year they made it to Super Bowl XXXVII, the Oakland Raiders.
On Sunday, the Raiders dominated the San Diego Chargers 28-13 in front of a sold out crowd at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
The victory was the Raiders’ first at Qualcomm Stadium since 2002 and their second victory against the Chargers this season, the first time they have accomplished this feat since 2001. And to top it all off, the win was the Raiders’ sixth of the season, matching its season high since 2002 when they went 11-5 and went to the Super Bowl.
With this win, the Raiders are now tied for second in the AFC West with the Chargers, two games back of the Kansas City Chiefs. With the season coming to an end in four weeks, the Raiders would need to win the remaining games to try to come close to winning their division or even a tight wild card race with the New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, and the Indianapolis Colts.
However, the Raiders are 4-0 within their division. If the Raiders can win one out of the last two division games against the Broncos and the Chiefs, they will have the advantage if they end the season tied for first place, making their remainding four games even more significant.
The Chargers came into the game as one of the most dominant run-stopping defenses, allowing 81.1 yards per game. But the Raiders’ offensive line and backs dominated, gaining 251 yards on the ground.
The running game, led by running backs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, have ran for 870 and 453 yards repectively, and each have five touchdowns. The run game has carried the offensive load while dealing with quarterback battles and injuries between Jason Campbell and Bruce Gradkowski.
Campbell, who was added to the roster in the offseason from the Washington Redskins, made the start at quarterback for injured Gradkowski, whose out for the remainder of the season with a separated shoulder.
After Hiram Eugene recovered a Darren Sproles’ fumbled punt, the Raiders’ offense, led by Campbell, set the tone for the remainder of the game.
On a 4th and 1 play on the Chargers’ 9, Campbell faked a handoff to Michael Bush and sprinted left on the naked bootleg for a Raider touchdown and took the lead, 7-0.
The Raiders’ defense also played a key role in the victory, for the most part shutting down the Chargers’ offense and putting their quarter back Philip Rivers on his back multiple times.
On the Chargers’ next drive, Raiders’ defensive back Michael Huff intercepted Rivers’ pass. Campbell then led the Raiders 41 yards, capping the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Jacoby Ford.
Ford has played a huge role in the Raiders success, returning two kickoffs for scores and two receiving touchdowns in his rookie season.
After the Charger kicker Nate Kaeding put his team on the board with a field goal, the Raiders responded with their dominant run game, as Bush dragged Charger defenders with a 7-yard touchdown run, making the score 21-3 at the half.
In the second half, the Raiders’ offense blundered and the Chargers battled back. The lead was cut down after another Nate Kaeding field goal and a Rivers pass to wide open tight end Antonio Gates, trimming the lead to 21-13 in favor of the Raiders with 9:59 left in the game.
After a short kick returned to the Chargers 38, the Raiders had to march down the field to get some breathing room. After a huge 37-yard play on a 4th down fake pass from Campbell to Louis Murphy, McFadden scored from 7-yards out, capping off a 62-yard drive and putting the game in the bag.
The Raiders continue their quest for a playoff spot against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.