NFL Game of the Week: Raiders vs. Chargers
This season has been nothing short of amazing, including record breaking plays on special teams this past weekend.
As we enter Week 4 the expectations are very high. The primetime Monday Night Football matchup this week is between the Los Angeles Chargers (2-1) and the Las Vegas Raiders (3-0).
The high-powered offense of the Chargers under quarterback Justin Herbert has seen great success over the course of their first three games. Most recently, the team pulled out a close win against the defending AFC Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
Herbert sees no sophomore slump in sight as he commands an impressive start to the 2021-2022 season. So far, he has completed 69.8% of his passes for a total of 956 yards and six touchdowns . This Sunday, he’ll most likely surpass 1,000 yards passing. The only question is, which receiver will get him there?
His two main targets are veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen and fourth-year player Mike Williams. Without a doubt going into this season Allen was the obvious WR1 for Herbert, but so far this year Williams is stealing the show. In three games, Williams has 22 receptions, one more than Allen, for 295 yards and four touchdowns.
Both receivers are lethal weapons for the Chargers offense, so expect them to go off against a Raiders secondary that is no stranger to giving up points.
The Raiders have managed to start this season undefeated, although some may say that they haven’t yet faced real competition. This Monday night matchup is important for them to not only keep their streak alive, but to also take down a division opponent.
The Raiders currently rank first in the AFC West followed by the Denver Broncos (3-0), then the Chargers (2-1) and finally the Chiefs (1-2). There’s a lot riding on this game for Derek Carr and the entire team.
The Raiders’ second round pick from 2014 has proven his worth in the National Football League. This year, he seems to feel comfortable in the pocket. Since the first week he has completed 64.7% of his passes for an impressive 1,203 yards and six touchdowns.
Unlike most quarterbacks in the NFL, Carr’s number one target happens to be a tight end, Darren Waller. Darren Waller has bounced around the league and has battled drug addiction throughout his career, but once he joined the Raiders, people began to see him in a totally different light.
Waller has transformed his game and made it known that he is in the discussion as one of the top three tight ends in football. This season, he has 20 receptions for 224 yards and one touchdown. This upcoming matchup he hopes to explode on the scene and lead the Raiders to a win.
This game is going to be an offensive extravaganza. A shootout between two of the leagues best quarterbacks has the potential to be the best game we’ve seen so far this season.
This is one of those games where it could go either way. It comes right down to who wants it more. That being said, look for the Chargers to hand the Raiders their first loss of the season.
Nolan Clark is a third-year studying broadcast journalism. To contact him, email nolanclark11@gmail.com.
