Raiders week 17 Ballers & Busters vs Chargers

This was one of those games where you just say, get it over with. Let this season end. They had already lost three-straight, just make it four-straight and head for the offseason. That’s just what they did too.

Neither team looked like they wanted it in the first quarter. Then early in the second, both teams put up touchdowns within seconds of each other. The Chargers got theirs on a lucky bounce off a forced fumble that led to Keenan Allen streaking for an easy score. The Raiders got theirs the same way the did last week – on a long bomb to Amari Cooper.

A low, line drive field goal attempt from the latest in a string of terrible Chargers kickers bounced off Justin Ellis’s helmet and bounced some 38 yards the other way to put the Raiders in position to add a field goal. That would be their only points in the game. And by halftime the Chargers had scored two more touchdowns as they began running away with it.

It was 30-10 by the end of the third and this one couldn’t get over fast enough.

Ballers

Marshawn Lynch

He came into the game needing 98 yards to hit the 10,000-yard mark for his career. It didn’t seem like an altogether attainable goal considering he had just one 100-yard game all season and the Raiders tend not to run the ball when they get down. But he was determined to make a run at it and, it would seem, the Raiders were as well.

To lead out the team’s second drive, he broke one for 18 yards with sheer Beast Mode, stiff arming his way for nearly half his run.

In the second quarter, after the Raiders fell behind 14-10, he broke off a 15-yard run, again breaking tackles along the way. Later in the same drive, he picked up first down on third and one with a three-yard run. But the promising drive would end with an interception.

Early in the third quarter, with the Raiders now down 23-10, he took the ball on third and one and went for 19 yards. Two plays later, he ran left, then cutback to pick up 10 yards.

With five minutes remaining, Marshawn was sitting at 87 yards. He needed 11 yards to hit 10K and he got that, putting the Raiders in first and goal at the 8-yard-line. They wouldn’t get much closer, and the Raiders last chance to put more points on the board ended a few plays later. The score wouldn’t have changed the outcome, so at least Marshawn was able to celebrate his individual accomplishment. He now sits at 10,003 career yards.

Amari Cooper

Just as he did in Philadelphia last week, Coop scored the Raiders’ only touchdown. And just like that touchdown, he broke wide open for a long score. This time it went for 87 yards to tie the game at 7-7. In all, he would catch three passes for 115 yards.

Honorable Mention

Shalom Luani – He came in for an injured Karl Joseph and played quite well, putting up 5 combined tackles (3 solo) and a pass defended.

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