The Raiders are headed to the playoffs. Rematching the rival Chargers in an unofficial postseason game to close the 2021 regular season, Vegas survived a heroic late-stage comeback from Justin Herbert and Co., with Daniel Carlson's overtime field goal sealing a 35-32 win and punching the club's ticket to the playoffs.
Vegas started Sunday night hot, opening with a 10-0 lead and later owning a 15-point advantage thanks to a big night from both Josh Jacobs (132 yards) and their pass rush. Herbert, meanwhile, stole the spotlight down the stretch, emerging as a fourth-down magician to rally L.A. back and force overtime. Both sides traded field goals in the extra frame before Jacobs marched Vegas past midfield, and only as time expired did Carlson hit the field goal, though a 32-32 tie would've sent both squads to the playoffs.
Here are some immediate takeaways from Sunday night's thrilling Raiders win:
Why the Raiders won
They dominated in the trenches. There are a lot of reasons Vegas pulled it out (more on that in a second), but their work up front was the real X-factor. On offense, Josh Jacobs powered behind their line for more than five yards per carry, and some of his best runs came on Vegas' final drive to set up Daniel Carlson's winning field goal. On defense, Maxx Crosby (two sacks) and their front stayed hungry all night, keeping Justin Herbert on his toes. Derek Carr, meanwhile, delivered some precision strikes throughout the evening, with Bryan Edwards and Zay Jones stepping up on the receiving end. Most of all, they were just incredibly resilient, recovering from a blown fourth-quarter lead against a superior QB and offense to get the job done.
Why the Chargers lost
It wasn't for a lack of clutch magic from Justin Herbert, who routinely bailed L.A. out of fourth-down situations with the game on the line. Herbert, of course, wasn't perfect, sailing his lone interception at a bad time while trying to extend a failed third-and-long, but he was the least of the Chargers' concerns. Instead, Brandon Staley's squad lost because they couldn't stop the run. Or at least that's what killed them when it mattered most. Staley's abrupt timeout in the final minute of OT may have given the Raiders new life in the face of a potential tie, but his front seven was most responsible for letting Josh Jacobs and the Vegas offense grind it out. Ten penalties didn't help their cause, and neither did a fumbled punt.
Turning point
With the game knotted at 32 in OT, and under 40 seconds left in the contest, the Raiders were preparing to call a third-and-4 play, having just run the ball on consecutive downs to keep the clock churning. To some eyes, it appeared as if they were content to run the clock all the way down and accept a playoff-clinching tie. But then Staley called a timeout, and the Chargers proceeded to surrender a first-down run from Jacobs on the ensuing play. This moved Vegas closer to field-goal range and sealed the Raiders' last-second win.
Play of the game
He didn't end on top, but give all the credit in the world to Herbert, who stood tall in the last game of his second NFL season, most notably delivering this pinpoint TD strike on the final play of regulation to send the game to OT:
What's next
The Chargers (9-8) are done, finishing Staley's first season at head coach just over .500 but out of the playoffs. The Raiders (10-7), meanwhile, will travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals in the first matchup of Wild Card Weekend on Saturday.
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