Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers Game Day Open Thread

The Oakland Raiders are home to play host to division rival San Diego – this is your place to talk about the game and all things Raiders football.

The Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers couldn’t possibly be on more different trajectories. The Raiders are a team on the rise, and at 3-1, seem poised to make a run at a playoff berth this year. The Chargers on the other hand, are a team that cannot seem to catch a break. Injuries have depleted their roster and defensive collapses down the stretch have contributed to their 1-3 record.

The Chargers seem to be moving backward with their window of opportunity rapidly closing. The Raiders though, seem to be headed in the right direction and seem very well capable of living up to all of the hype surrounding this team.

But division games are tricky beasts. You’re going to get the best shot a division rival can throw at you. And after four games that were – let’s be honest – complete nail biters, there are a few questions about whether or not this Raiders team can absorb the shots coming their way from San Diego.

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Those questions revolve mainly around the defense. Though as a unit, the defense has played better over the last couple of weeks, they’re still not a terrific, cohesive unit. Yet.

The pass rush began to get some traction last week and they harassed Joe Flacco all day long. The secondary – after a rough start to the year – has tightened up and is playing well. Sean Smith is rebounding from an early season torching, while David Amerson leads the league in passes defensed and has been Oakland’s best corner early on.

Reggie Nelson and Karl Joseph are starting to come together to form an aggressive, attacking duo in the defensive backfield, and they’re starting to make some plays. It was Nelson who contributed to the pass break up that ended last week’s game with Baltimore with a brutal hit.

But the Raiders still have some concerns in the middle of their defense. The inside linebackers have been subpar this season and have been repeatedly exposed. They aren’t playing well against the run, nor are they playing well against the pass. That poor play has contributed greatly to the struggles of Oakland’s defense.

And with Ben Heeney done for the year and Malcolm Smith now a gametime decision with an injury, the linebackers group has gotten even thinner. Rookie Cory James has stepped up and has played some very good ball. Darren Bates filled in last week and played well – we should probably expect to see him get a number of snaps today.

To help bolster their linebackers group, the Raiders signed free agent Perry Riley Jr., a longtime friend of Bruce Irvin. It remains to be seen yet whether Riley will see the field, and if he does, how much of an impact he’s going to have.

The Chargers are dealing with the loss of both of their starting corners – Jason Verrett is done for the year after an ACL injury, and Brandon Flowers is out with a concussion. Their offensive line is as banged up as their linebackers group, and starting strong safety Jahleel Addae has also been ruled out for the game with Oakland.

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This in addition to losing key playmakers like Keenan Allen and Danny Woodhead for the year.

The bright spot for San Diego is that it appears Antonio Gates will be available to play and rookie first round pick Joey Bosa is expected to make his debut.

For the Raiders, Latavius Murray is out with a toe injury, leaving rookies DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard to carry the load in the running game. Tackle Menelik Watson and safety Nate Allen have also been ruled out.

And a week after losing blocking tight end Lee Smith for the year to a broken leg, it appears that Clive Walford may also miss the game with San Diego. Like Malcolm Smith, Walford will be a gametime decision, but it doesn’t look good for him playing.

There are plenty of things to talk about and plenty of storylines to follow in this matchup of division rivals. Will Oakland air it out against a depleted San Diego secondary? Will they find some success taking shots down the field? Will Derek Carr light it up? Will Amari Cooper get his first touchdown on the year? Will San Diego’s defense be able to rise up and stop the dynamic offense of the Raiders? Will Korey Toomer get his chance to take a shot at Carr? Will Philip Rivers be able to will his team to a win?

The questions abound. So feel free to jump on in and start the discussion and call your shot. This is your place to talk about the game and all things Raiders football. So step on up, speak out, and be heard!