Raiders hang team-record 63 points on banged-up Chargers،
LAS VEGAS – Four days after hitting rock bottom with a 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the lowest-scoring indoor game in NFL history, the Las Vegas Raiders struggled against the Los Angeles Chargers Angeles, defeating their AFC West rivals 63-21. Thursday night while setting a franchise record for points scored in a game.
The 63 points were the third most by a team in the Super Bowl era and the second most in NFL history by a team that was shut out in its previous game, one behind the 64 points that the 1934 Eagles had against the Cincinnati Reds.
The Raiders also scored the most points in a prime-time game since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
From zero to 63?
“I was in it,” Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce said of the blue mood that enveloped the team after Sunday’s loss. “I had to slap myself to get out of the funk, and [the players] brought me out of the funk. They brought me with them, and damn, we kicked ass today.
“It’s become a frenzy.”
It was a complete demolition as the Raiders ended a three-game losing streak to improve to 6-8 while scoring seven touchdowns on offense and two on defense. They managed five takeaways, scoring a touchdown after each. The Raiders' 35 takeaways are tied for the most this century, tying the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs against the Raiders and the 2012 New England Patriots against the New York Jets in the infamous “Butt Fumble” match.
The Raiders led 42-0 at halftime.
When receiver Jakobi Meyers hit Davante Adams for a 3-yard touchdown pass to give the Raiders a 49-0 lead in the third quarter, Meyers became the first non-QB this century to throw a pass with his team in lead by at least 40 points. Meyers also became the second Raiders player in franchise history with a passing TD and a TD in the same game, joining Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen in 1983 against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Raiders' two defensive touchdowns — a 44-yard fumble return by defensive tackle John Jenkins and an acrobatic 16-yard pick-six by Jack Jones — were their first pairing in a game since 2006, when Nnamdi Asomugha and Chris Carr came back. interceptions for scores against Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As Raiders interim offensive coordinator Bo Hardegree walked from the field to the press box, rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell threw deep and excelled.
“Obviously after last week's performance we had to make a change,” Pierce said of moving Hardegree to a higher vantage point. “And I think it worked out well for us.”
O'Connell, who entered the day just 5 of 20 with one touchdown and two interceptions on passes of more than 20 air yards, was 3 of 4 with three touchdowns on such passes in the first half. He is the first Raiders QB to throw three touchdowns of at least 20 yards in a game since ESPN began tracking air yards in 2006.
O'Connell finished 20 of 34 for 248 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. He said the short week actually helped the Raiders get over the shutout loss to the Vikings because they couldn't dwell on it.
“It was fun to watch and fun to be a part of,” said O’Connell, who posted a career-best 120.7 passer rating after posting a 66.0 passer rating against the Vikings. “Sometimes the stars align.”
Las Vegas, which had scored 20 points or fewer in 11 of 13 games, had eight players score touchdowns. Including the playoffs, that's tied for the second-most in a game in NFL history and fifth-most in a game overall.
The Raiders were without All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs (quad), left tackle Kolton Miller (right shoulder) and center Andre James (right ankle) and have a long break before facing the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas day.
The Chargers were without their two best offensive players, with star quarterback Justin Herbert out for the season following surgery to repair a broken right index finger earlier this week and senior receiver Keenan Allen out due to from a heel injury.
In place of Herbert, Easton Stick finished 23 of 32 for 257 yards with three touchdowns, but also threw an interception and lost two fumbles.
Raiders right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said there was “a lot of pent-up aggression” after being shut out Sunday.
“Last week was crap, losing 3-0,” said Eluemunor, who shut out Chargers forward Khalil Mack after getting six of his league-leading 15 sacks against the Raiders in the fourth week.
“It's really embarrassing. …And everyone just wanted to come here today and just…let it all out. Especially during a short week like this.”
Raiders All-Pro wide receiver Adams agreed.
“Of course we still have things to play for, but you have to be proud of your last name and the team you play for and we all had that in mind today,” he said afterwards having scored a record eighth. passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.
“We rallied and found a way to do it the right way. We started really well, the defense came on the field and got them going right away and I think we kind of snowballed on what they've done all year and we've got to find a way to be a little more consistent on offense.”
With the Miami Dolphins defeating the Denver Broncos 70-20 in Week 3, it was the first season in which multiple teams scored at least 60 points since 1972.
“We were on the other side of [a shutout] last week and it was a certain way,” Pierce said. “No excuses here. Sorry.”
