Game Overview ::
By mike johnson >>
- The Chargers will know 24 hours in advance whether or not this game will have any impact on their playoff seeding.
- Raiders TE Brock Bowers has set several receiving records already and will look to build on those in this matchup.
- The Raiders will be competing under head coach Antonio Pierce as he looks to end his first full season on a positive note.
- Los Angeles had a three-man backfield headed by J.K. Dobbins in his first game back from Injured Reserve.
- Ameer Abdullah took the lead in the Raiders backfield last week and was very successful, but is now listed as doubtful for this game.
How los Angeles Will Try To Win ::
The Chargers have locked up a playoff berth and will know what they are playing for (if anything) before this game kicks off. They can’t fall any lower than the No. 6 seed. If Pittsburgh loses on Saturday, the Chargers will be the No. 5 seed and face the Texans with a win. If Pittsburgh wins, then the Chargers are locked into the No. 6 seed and will face the Ravens in the wild card round which could lead to them resting players. Coach Jim Harbaugh is currently talking about this game as if they will need to win it, but that tune could change depending on the outcome in Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
The Chargers offense was humming last Saturday in New England, dropping 40 points for the first time this season. As a matter of fact, the Chargers scored over 30 points in each of the last two weeks after doing so only once in their first 14 games. A date with a struggling Raiders defense would likely set them up for another strong offensive output. Rookie WR Ladd McConkey is the clear focal point of the passing game with receivers Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston, and Derius Davis all playing various roles. Davis has burst on the scene the last couple of weeks and QB Justin Herbert has spoken about a need to get him more involved. Davis delivered last week with a first quarter touchdown. McConkey will be peppered with targets and moved all over the field. If the Steelers win on Saturday, expect McConkey to be very busy Sunday.
As for the backfield, J.K. Dobbins returned from injured reserve and was the primary runner for the Chargers in New England, but Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins were still involved enough to matter. Given the injury history of Dobbins and his status as their lead back it would make sense for the three-headed backfield to continue this week in a solid matchup with the Raiders run defense. Dobbins would be at the top of the list of candidates to sit this one out if Pittsburgh wins on Saturday, so we’ll want to keep an eye on that.
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