Raiders week 17 Ballers & Busters vs Chargers: Part two

Busters

Jack Del Rio

I don’t know how many times I have used the word ‘uninspired’ this season, but this was the ultimate in uninspired play. Perhaps it was the fact that they were out of playoff contention. Perhaps it was the rumors of Del Rio being replaced by Jon Gruden. Who knows. But this was a miserable showing, much like when they headed to Kansas City that started out this season-ending four-game losing streak. When they went into that game, they were tied for the lead in the division. It’s like the guy who has never won his division struggles against division foes.

John Pagano

Here we thought Pagano calling the plays against his former team might actually work in the Raiders’ favor. It turned out to be the opposite. Philip Rivers picked him apart. The Raiders’ defense was getting set late all game, leaving players wide open underneath, and the secondary several times had broken coverages, twice resulting in long touchdown catches.

Antonio Hamilton

Under normal circumstances Hamilton would not be seeing the field as much as he did against the Chargers. But Dexter McDonald left with an injury after five snaps and David Amerson was inactive for the 9^th straight week. Hamilton was pressed into service, and the results weren’t good.

The first play of the second quarter he gave up an 8-yard catch. Three plays later, with the Chargers in third and 16, Rivers threw deep up the right sideline and Hamilton was called for pass interference. It was a 30-yard penalty. The Chargers scored on the next play.

The final drive of the first half, Hamilton missed a tackle to give up a 14-yard screen. Two plays later he was schooled by veteran tight end Antonio Gates to give up a 20-yard catch. The Chargers scored on the next play to go up 20-10 at the half. The first series of the third quarter Gates got another catch for 13 yards to put the Chargers in position for a short field goal.

The next drive, he gave up a 5-yard catch on third and 3. That kept the drive alive and it ended when he had a miscommunication with Reggie Nelson, who went to cover Gates while Travis Benjamin ran right by Hamilton for a 62-yard touchdown. That put the Chargers up 30-10 at the end of the third. Game was over right there.

David Sharpe, Marshall Newhouse

After a fine performance in his first start last week, Sharpe was brutal trying to keep Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa out of the backfield. And Newhouse had his share of difficulty as well.

It was Newhouse giving up a hit on Carr that led to an incompletion on the first third down of the game. The next Raiders’ offensive play, Newhouse gave up a run stuff for no gain. A few plays later, he gave upanother run stuff. The next play, Sharpe was called for holding. The play after that Sharpe gave up a pressure that resulted in a one-yard completion.

The first play of the next series, Sharpe gave up the sack. He would give up another sack in the fourth quarter to finish with two sacks surrendered and four pressures.

Khalil Mack

Your eyes don’t deceive you. You know it was a terrible game when even Mack is out of it. The Chargers first touchdown came on a forced fumble that went right to Keenan Allen. But that fumble came at the tail end of an 11-yard run in which Mack missed the tackle.

The next drive, he didn’t get the seal on the right edge to give up third down conversion. The next play he missed a tackle on a 7-yard run. The first play of the next series, he gave up the edge again on a 7-yard run. A few plays later, he hit Travis Benjamin on the ground on an end around, putting a forearm to his helmet and was flagged for unnecessary roughness.

The second play of the third quarter, he missed the tackle to give up a 16-yard run. It put the Chargers at the Oakland 36 and they would add a field goal to take a 23-10 lead.

Sean Smith

The second touchdown by the Chargers came on a 56-yard bomb to a wide open Tyrell Williams. He got so wide open because, Smith stayed short, letting him free on a go route for an easy 56-yard touchdown. The next drive, Smith gave up a 17-yard catch that put the Chargers in Oakland territory at the 44 with just over a minute left in the half. They would drive for their third touchdown. Finally, he gave up an 8-yard catch on the Chargers’ final touchdown drive.

See the Ballers