Thursday Night Football in Week 15 was almost as lopsided as you could get. The Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 63-21. The 42-point point differential is one of the biggest blowouts in NFL history.
What Were the Raiders’ Stats vs. the Chargers?
The domination didn’t take long to set in. The Raiders scored 21 points in both the first and second quarters, giving them a 42-0 lead at halftime. While the win put the Raiders back on track, it put the Chargers’ season on ice.
“I don’t know that,” said Chargers’ head coach Brandon Staley when asked if he will still be the Chargers’ head coach on Friday.
Los Angeles scored their first touchdown with 10:35 left in the third quarter. The remainder of their points came on the final two drives of the game when the Raiders had put in their depth players.
The Chargers offensively were led by Easton Stick and Joshua Palmer. Stick passed for 257 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Palmer, on the other hand, caught four passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. The team as a whole, though, turned the ball over five times, including two of which resulted in touchdowns.
The Raiders’ victory comes less than a full week after losing 3-0 to the Minnesota Vikings. “It’s a much better feeling,” said Davante Adams when asked about 63 points this week against last week’s zero. “It’s good to be on the right side of history.”
The 42-point win was tied for the fifth-largest margin of victory in Raiders’ franchise history. Their largest came in 1967 when they defeated the Denver Broncos 51-0.
Las Vegas’ 63 points (franchise record) also tied for seventh most in an NFL game in league history. Earlier this season, the Miami Dolphins scored the second most with 70 points. The current record holder is the 1966 Washington Commanders, who scored 72.
The Raiders’ eight touchdowns were all scored by different players, marking the first team since the 1950 Los Angeles Rams to have eight different players score a touchdown in a single game.
Las Vegas was led by Aidan O’Connell and Adams. O’Connell passed for 248 yards and four touchdowns, while Adams caught eight passes for 101 yards and a score. The team as a whole had 378 total yards and was 9 of 16 on third down.
The Raiders’ two defensive scores were thanks to Jack Jones, with an interception, and John Jenkins, who returned a fumble for a score.
MORE: Antonio Pierce Coaching Timeline
Earlier this season, the Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels and promoted Antonio Pierce to interim head coach. Since Pierce took over, the team has gone 3-3.
“AP models exactly what the Raiders are,” said defensive end Maxx Crosby.
Pierce is still making his pitch as to why he should be the head coach of the future. Next week, the Raiders will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day. The Chargers, on the other hand, will be back in prime time, facing the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night.
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