Raiders’ Playoff Chances Drop To Minimum with 24-30 OT Loss to LA Chargers

Darren Waller with the Raiders in 2019
Darren Waller with the Raiders in 2019. Photo by Mark Greenwood/IPS/Shutterstock

The Las Vegas Raiders’ chances of making the playoffs for the first time in four years are down to a minimum after they suffered a surprising 24-30 overtime loss against the LA Chargers on Thursday night.

The Raiders entered the game as notable favorites, facing a team that was plagued by injuries, as well as being led by a rookie quarterback. However, it turned out that the Chargers came to Allegiant Stadium wanting a win more than their opponents.

The Chargers were the first ones to get points on the board thanks to a nicely executed 78-yard drive that culminated with Justin Herbert’s touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Henry.

The Raiders were close to hitting back but couldn’t find their way to the endzone, and had to be content with a field goal. In the meantime, starting quarterback Derek Carr suffered an injury, and backup Marcus Mariota took his place.

Mariota immediately got in sync with the Raiders’ offense and found tight end Darren Waller for a 35-yard score.

This turned out to be all for the Raiders in the first half, with the Chargers rallying back for 10 unanswered points before the clock ran out.

The third quarter saw an exchange of rushing TDs before Mariota managed to level the score halfway through the fourth quarter.

Both teams attempted to seal the game with a field goal attempt, but the Chargers’ Michael Badgley missed from 51 yards while the Raiders never got theirs off the ground thanks to a bad snap.

In overtime, the Raiders orchestrated a nice drive that ended with them putting three points on the scoreboard. However, the Chargers used their possession much better and took it all thanks to a QB sneak from Herbert.

With this win, the Chargers improve to a 5-9 record and find themselves on a two-game winning streak.

The Raiders, on the other hand, are now 7-7 and out of the playoff picture. They will most likely stay there when the regular season wraps up.

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