The Oakland Raiders will play the second of three consecutive home games this weekend when they take on the Los Angeles Chargers at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 1:25 p.m. This marks the first meeting of 2017 between the two teams, with the second matchup coming in Week 17 in Los Angeles. The Chargers mark the second AFC West opponent of the year for the Silver and Black, and the Raiders come into Sunday's game with a four-game winning streak over their rival.
Here is the Game Preview, presented by 95.7 The GAME.
THE SETTING
Date: Sunday, October 15, 2017Kickoff: 1:25 p.m. PTSite: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (1966)Capacity/Surface: 56,057/Overseeded BermudaRegular Season: Raiders lead, 62-50-2
Postseason: Raiders lead, 1-0
The Raiders lost last Sunday to the Baltimore Ravens by a final score of 17-30. QB EJ Manuel made his first start as a Raider, throwing for 159 yards on 13-of-26 passing with one touchdown. Manuel's top target was WR Derek Carr - who returned to action after missing Week 4. Crabtree hauled in six receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown, a 41-yard strike from Manuel. RB Marshawn Lynch led the team with 43 rushing yards on 12 carries and one touchdown, while RB Jalen Richard contributed 37 yards on nine carries. On the defensive side of the ball, DE Khalil Mack led the way with 10 tackles (six solo). S Karl Joseph was also active on the day, recording nine stops. K Giorgio Tavecchio remained perfect on the season, connecting on a 32-yard field goal and adding two PATs. P Marquette King added four punts for 197 yards.
Next week, the Raiders will turn around for a short week to face the Kansas City Chiefs at home on Thursday Night Football. Following the Thursday night game, the Raiders will play the Bills 10 days later in Buffalo before spending a week in Florida leading up to their road contest against the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 5.
The Chargers head back to Los Angeles for another divisional matchup next week, playing host to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Oct. 22.
TOUCHDOWN CRAB
WR Michael Crabtree caught his fourth touchdown of the season last week against Baltimore, adding to his fast start in the early part of 2017. Despite missing one game due to injury, Crabtree is now tied for fourth in the NFL with four touchdown grabs.
Since joining the Raiders in 2015, Crabtree also ranks fourth in the NFL with 21 receiving touchdowns, trailing only Odell Beckham Jr., Antonio Brown and Doug Baldwin.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION
CBS
Play-by-play: Kevin Harlan
Color Analyst: Rich Gannon
RADIO
Flagship: 95.7 The Game
Play-by-play: Greg Papa
Color Analyst: Tom Flores
Sideline: Lincoln Kennedy
Spanish Radio
Spanish Flagship: KIQI 1010
Play-by-play: Fernando Arias
Color Analyst: Ambrosio Rico
CHARGERS SNAPSHOT
Overview: Head Coach Anthony Lynn, who was named the 16th head coach in franchise history, enters Week 6 with a 1-4 record. After dropping the first four games, the Chargers earned their first win of the season in Week 5, defeating the Giants by a score of 27-22 in New York. Los Angeles has lost four straight games against the Raiders after being swept in both 2015 and 2016.
Offense: Leading the offense is QB Philip Rivers, now in his 14th season with the Chargers. Rivers enters Week 6 ranking fifth in the NFL in passing yards with 1,365 and seventh in passing touchdowns with nine. The Chargers' top rusher this season is RB Melvin Gordon, who ranks tied for fourth in the league with five total touchdowns (two rushing and three receiving). Gordon, who fell just shy of posting 1,000 rushing yards in 2016, is pacing the rushing attack with 273 yards on 74 carries (3.7 avg.) while adding 19 receptions for 155 yards (8.2 avg.). Fifth-year veteran WR Keenan Allen is leading the receiving for Los Angeles, as he ranks fourth in the league with 401 yards and leads the team with 28 receptions.
Defense: Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is new to the Chargers staff this season after spending the past four seasons as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bradley's unit is tied for third in the NFL with 17 sacks through five weeks, with DE Melvin Ingram leading the team and AFC with 7.5 sacks. DE Joey Bosa is close behind with 4.5 sacks, which ranks eighth in the league. Despite finishing the 2016 tied for the league lead in interceptions, the Chargers have posted just two picks this season coming from S Tre Boston and S Adrian Phillips. In his second year, OLB Jatavis Brown has posted a team-high 46 tackles (32 solo) through five games.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Pro Connections
• Raiders director of player personnel Joey Clinkscales and Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn were both with the New York Jets from 2009- 11. Clinkscales served in a variety of scouting roles, most recently as the vice president of college scouting, while Lynn served as the team's running backs coach. Additionally, Chargers quality control – offense coach Dan Shamash also spent one season with Clinkscales in New York during the 2008 season as a coaching assistant. Chargers head strength and conditioning coach John Lott also spent eight seasons (1997-2004) with Clinkscales in the same capacity with the Jets.
• Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio and Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn were both on the Jaguars coaching staff in 2003-04, with Del Rio serving as the team's head coach and Lynn as the running backs coach.
• Raiders assistant head coach – defense John Pagano spent 15 seasons with the Chargers in San Diego, serving in a variety of roles consisting of defensive assistant – quality control, assistant linebackers – quality control, outside linebacker, and most recently spending his last five seasons as the team's defensive coordinator before joining the Raiders this past offseason.
• Chargers defensive back coach Ron Milus (secondary coach) worked under Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio (defensive coordinator) during the 2012 season in Denver for the Broncos defense. The Broncos finished 13-3 with the help of Milus and Del Rio.
• Chargers assistant offensive line coach James Cregg landed his first NFL job as an assistant offensive line coach with the Raiders from 2007- 08.
• Raiders defensive assistant Sam Anno played linebacker for the Chargers for two seasons from 1992-1993.
• Chargers LB Korey Toomer appeared in 10 games for the Raiders in 2015 before joining the Chargers' active roster in 2016.
• Chargers T Joe Barksdale was drafted by the Raiders in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft and played all 16 games as a rookie, primarily on special teams.
• Chargers director of business operations John Hinek is the son of Frank Hinek, who served as the Raiders' equipment manager from 1960-62.
College Connections
• Raiders DE Khalil Mack and Chargers RB Branden Oliver were teammates and roommates at Buffalo from 2010-2013. Mack was the fifth-overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, while Oliver went undrafted.
• Raiders CB Gareon Conley and Chargers DE Joey Bosa both played two seasons (2014-15) on the same defense with Ohio State, helping the university win the 2014 National Championship.
• Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio, defensive assistant Sam Anno and defensive line coach Jethro Franklin all either played or coached at USC.
• Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr., defensive line coach Jethro Franklin, quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz and DT Eddie Vanderdoes all either played or coached at UCLA.
• Chargers WR Keenan Allen, DE Chris McCain and NT Brandon Mebane all attended Cal.
Hometown Connections
• Raiders FB/RB Jamize Olawale, T Donald Penn and CB Sean Smith are all natives of the Los Angeles area.
• Chargers CB Jason Verrett (IR) is a native of Fairfield, Calif., and played for Angelo Rodriguez High School. Verrett's older brother, Warren, works in Client Services for the Raiders.
• Chargers G/T Kenny Wiggins is a native of Elk Grove, Calif., and attended Fresno State from 2007-2010 and was All-Western Athletic Conference First Team as a senior in 2010.
