|
|
Printable Page
11/30 18:29 CST Justin Herbert throws 2 TD passes, Chargers send rival Raiders
to 6th straight loss, 31-14
Justin Herbert throws 2 TD passes, Chargers send rival Raiders to 6th straight
loss, 31-14
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) --- Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes while
playing through an injury to his non-throwing hand, and Kimani Vidal made a
59-yard scoring run during the Los Angeles Chargers' 31-14 victory over the
spiraling Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey had TD catches and Vidal rushed for a
career-high 126 yards for the Chargers (8-4), who snapped back from an
embarrassing loss at Jacksonville for their fourth win in five games to keep
pressure on the Denver Broncos atop the AFC West.
Jaret Patterson rushed for his first NFL touchdown since 2021 to ice the
victory with 1:55 to play.
Los Angeles comfortably beat its longtime West Coast rivals for the fourth
straight time, sweeping the season series and emphasizing the current gulf
between the Bolts and the Raiders (2-10), who had less support in the SoFi
Stadium crowd than in past seasons.
Herbert didn't put up big numbers, but he injured a finger on his left hand
during the Chargers' first drive and briefly went to the locker room. He
finished 15 of 20 for 151 yards, improving on his career-low 81 yards passing
against the Jaguars despite throwing a goal-line interception in the second
quarter.
Geno Smith passed for 165 yards and threw two touchdown passes to Brock Bowers
in the sixth consecutive loss by the Raiders, who have just one victory since
Week 1.
At least the Raiders' long-struggling offense showed mild improvement in its
first game under interim offensive coordinator Greg Olson after high-priced
Chip Kelly was fired a week ago.
Las Vegas' 82-yard TD drive in the second quarter was the offense's longest in
four weeks, and the Raiders topped 10 points for the fourth time in eight games
when Bowers made a ridiculous one-handed TD grab with 7:49 to play.
But four-time Pro Bowl selection Maxx Crosby exemplified the Raiders'
comprehensive frustration when he inexplicably knocked Herbert to the ground at
midfield several seconds after Herbert hit Johnston for a first down with 3:55
to play. The penalty handed 15 yards to the Bolts on a drive that ended in
Patterson's 2-yard score.
Tuli Tuipulotu had two of the Chargers' five sacks while they limited the
Raiders to 156 total yards, including just 31 on the ground.
Johnston fought through contact to score a 10-yard TD on the Chargers' opening
drive, but Herbert had injured his left hand one play earlier while being
thrown to the ground by Jeremy Chinn.
Trey Lance began Los Angeles' second drive under center while Herbert went to
the locker room. Herbert returned during the drive and moved the Bolts to the
Las Vegas 2 before throwing an interception to Kyu Blu Kelly, who got his third
pick in four games.
Tony Jefferson got the ball back for LA with an acrobatic interception off a
sideline tip, but the Raiders' defense stopped the Chargers on downs in the red
zone before Olson's offense mounted its longest drive ending in Bowers' TD
catch 1:50 before halftime.
The Chargers went up 21-7 on McConkey's 7-yard TD catch late in the third
quarter.
Injuries Raiders: WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. was ruled out with a concussion in the second half. Chargers: Herbert finished the game with a glove on his left hand.
Up next Raiders: Host Denver on Sunday. Chargers: Host Philadelphia on Monday, Dec. 8. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
Injuries Raiders: WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. was ruled out with a concussion in the second half. Chargers: Herbert finished the game with a glove on his left hand.
Up next Raiders: Host Denver on Sunday. Chargers: Host Philadelphia on Monday, Dec. 8. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
