An opening-play bungle set the tone for the Raiders and the Chargers' quick score that followed was the afternoon's lone trip for either team into the end zone. What remained was 59 minutes of stalled drives, sloppy play, penalties and punts as San Diego got out of their recent rut with a less-than-polished win.
The loss was Oakland's 16th straight going back to 2013 and kept them out front of the 2015 draft-pick derby. Meanwhile, the Chargers find themselves just a game back in the AFC West despite the three consecutive losses they're just recovering from.
Oakland Raiders – Performances of Note
Antonio Smith, DE: +3.5
Breakdown: A rare true standout in this game, Smith had a field day, largely against the left side of the Charger offensive line and primarily when matched up against left guard Chad Rinehart. Smith’s six total pressures (sack, two hits, and three hurries) don’t even tell the whole story as he had a pair of additional hurries that were taken off the sheet by penalties.
Signature Play: 3Q 13:44, Smith’s sack was the perfect example of his work done against Rinehart on the day. Simply too quick, Smith was past the guard and on top of Philip Rivers in a blink.
Miles Burris, LB: -1.4
Breakdown: As is his wont, Burris had his share of trouble dealing with blockers challenging him at the second level, though, for the second time in three weeks, some of his disappointing run defense grade was offset by moments of joy in coverage. Four different Charger linemen recorded positives when getting out on Burris, helping him to a run defense grade that dragged his season mark further down to a league-low for inside linebackers (by a distance), -24.5.
Signature Play: 1Q 4:32, Burris is swallowed up by King Dunlap coming off a double team to clear a path past the Raider LB for a 7-yard gain.
Donald Penn, LT: +1.4 and Khalif Barnes, LG: +1.6 (pass blocking)
Breakdown: Finding a positive among the sea of red, the left side of the Oakland O-line enjoyed some success while pass blocking. The Penn-Barnes combo was charged with a lone hurry surrendered on 39 pass plays (though Penn did also give up a hit that was erased by penalty). That effort ensured Dwight Freeney’s quiet spell continued and they kept Corey Liuget short of multiple pressures for just the second time this season.
Signature Stat: The Raider O-line as a group posted an 88.9 Pass Blocking Efficiency score this week, fourth-best among the 26 teams to play so far.
San Diego Chargers – Performances of Note
Kavell Conner, LB: +5.0
Breakdown: On 29 snaps primarily spent at LILB, Conner turned in his best performance of the season and it wasn’t just the bright yellow gloves that made him stand out. With his positive play split out among work done as both a downhill defender and in coverage, he logged a sack, jarred a ball loose from a receiver, and collected five defensive stops.
Signature Play: 1Q 10.55, a must-see effort for lovers of run defense, Conner blows up the lead block of Oakland fullback Jamize Olawale and takes down the runner, Darren McFadden, in a single motion.
Chad Rinehart, LG: -3.8
Breakdown: As mentioned above, Rinehart was feasted on by Raider DE Antonio Smith and put up another in a string of negatively-graded performances. Beaten inside, outside and by bullrush, Rinehart didn’t have the answer for Smith as a pass protector (a sack, a hit, and three hurries), but did have moments of success as a run blocker against him.
Signature Stat: Rinehart’s pass-blocking grade landed among the bottom five for the 50 guards who saw at least 50 snaps this week.
Malcom Floyd, WR: +1.5
Breakdown: The 10-year vet found himself matched up with young Raider corners T.J. Carrie and D.J. Hayden for much of the day, notching a pair of first-down catches against Hayden while he saved his two best grabs for time in Carrie’s coverage – the game’s lone touchdown being one of them. Floyd’s fifth game in the green in eight weeks has sent him into the top 12 in receiving grades among wide receivers.
Signature Play: 3Q 8:34, looking beyond the early TD, Floyd impressed again by bringing in an over-the-shoulder gem and getting his feet down in bounds for a 27-yard gain that was wiped out by a holding penalty.
PFF Game Ball
Short of a dominant effort anywhere on the winning side, Oakland's Antonio Smith gets the game ball as the game's standout player.
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