‘Better late than never,’ Chargers fans throughout California shouted as Nick Novak’s late game kick leaded the Chargers over the Raiders, 17-16. With Kansas City leading the AFC West and the Broncos as a close second, this game was a must-win for the Los Angeles Chargers. Coming off a win over the New York Giants, this gave them the boost of hope they needed to take on the Raiders and come out on top.
The game gained momentum when Trevor Williams picked off Raiders Derek Carr’s pass in the first quarter, but the kick was no good. This miss lead to a touchdown pass from Carr to Crabtree, bringing the Raiders in the lead near the end of the first. The Chargers continued to put up a fight and Corey Liuget had an incredible play taking down DeAndre Washington. Bosa, the reigning defensive rookie of the year, followed this up with a sack, which was almost forced fumble, but the Raiders were able to recover the ball. But the Chargers were not giving up there, and would come back with Melvin Gordon hurdling over the defenders for a gain. The raiders took the lead with a field goal going into the half.
Turnovers seemed to be the name of the game for the third quarter. After coming back from the break, Carr continued to get the ball out quick and for a second time he threw an interception, this time picked out by Pullard for this first career interception. Then, Rivers would find Tyrell Williams but the ball was knocked away by McDonald.
The Chargers would redeem themselves in the fourth with a touchdown early on by Melvin Gordon. But the Raiders weren’t buying it, Patterson ran the ball quick for a touchdown, with the Chargers trailing just two points behind. They would eventually go for the field goal and with just seconds remaining in the game, Nick Novak kicked a beautifully victorious kick and it was just enough to take the lead. What a game!
Up Next:
The Chargers will face the Broncos, who are coming off of a devastating loss to the New York Giants, at home in Los Angeles.
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