4 days was all of the Las Vegas Raiders needed to get better from their worst efficiency of the season.
They made probably the most of their time.
The Raiders turned of their greatest efficiency of the season on Thursday night time, responding to Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Minnesota by scoring 42 factors by half-time, not letting the Los Angeles Chargers cross midfield till the third quarter and rolling to a record-setting 63-21 victory.
“We have been kicking ass,” mentioned Raiders cornerback Jack Jones, who returned an interception for a landing.
The Raiders set a franchise scoring file, topping the crew’s 59-14 victory at Denver on 24 October 2010. It was probably the most factors allowed by the Chargers, who gave up 57 to the St Louis Rams on 1 October 2000.
“We knew at halftime what the file was,” Las Vegas interim coach Antonio Pierce mentioned. “We need to be aggressive no matter what the rating was. If we had 21 or 10, we have been going to be aggressive. That was our mindset.”
The Raiders led 42-0 at halftime, simply three factors shy of the NFL file for halftime that was set in 2009 when New England led Tennessee 45-0. The 42-point margin has been matched two different instances – by Inexperienced Bay over Chicago in 2014 and the Packers over Tampa Bay in 1983. Las Vegas additionally broke its earlier file for a half, which was 38 towards the Broncos in that 2010 recreation.
The halftime deficit was the most important in Chargers historical past. They trailed the Patriots 31-0 in 1997.
“We obtained our asses kicked,” Los Angeles operating again Austin Ekeler mentioned. “That’s all I obtained for you.”
It was a shocking turnaround for the Raiders (6-8), who gave up solely a subject purpose Sunday towards Minnesota however nonetheless misplaced, amassing 202 yards. Las Vegas had 283 yards by halftime towards the Chargers (5-9). The Raiders led 63-7 earlier than two late touchdowns for LA.
“It reveals the resilience we now have as a bunch,” mentioned Raiders broad receiver Davante Adams, who caught eight passes for 101 yards and a TD, his first 100-yard recreation since Week 3 towards Pittsburgh. “You may simply let one thing like that get in your head and throw off the remainder of the season. To bounce again in only a quick period of time in entrance of you, that’s the kind of response we’re going to want.”
Aidan O’Connell threw all 4 of his landing passes within the first half, and he completed with 248 yards passing.
Las Vegas’ protection scored second-half touchdowns on a fumble restoration and interception, the primary time the Raiders scored two defensive TDs since 2006 towards the Steelers.
Los Angeles quarterback Easton Stick, making his first begin rather than the injured Justin Herbert, accomplished 23 of 32 passes for 257 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception.
The warmth figures to be turned up on Chargers coach Brandon Staley after his crew obtained blown out by a crew that was on a three-game shedding streak. Los Angeles has misplaced 5 of six video games.
The Chargers have been sloppy, turning the ball over 3 times within the first half. Every led to a Raiders landing.
“We simply didn’t have a very good recreation tonight,” Staley mentioned. “We didn’t have it from the start to the top. It’s simply a type of video games the place nothing went proper for us. We obtained a very good group of fellows, however it was simply a type of video games the place all three phases, the worst factor occurred to us tonight. It’s a mirrored image of all of us.”
Las Vegas was snug sufficient to run three successive gadget performs at one level within the second quarter. Large receiver Jakobi Meyers accomplished a move to Adams, receiver Tre Tucker was given the ball on a operating play after which Brandon Bolden scored on a 26-yard run out of the wildcat formation. It was his first landing since late within the 2021 season.
To open the second half, Meyers connected with Adams once more, this time on a three-yard landing move for a 49-0 lead.
Perhaps Myers goes after O’Connell’s job?
“Hey, he higher be on it as a result of I’m coming,” Meyers mentioned, jokingly.
Los Angeles lastly broke by way of on its subsequent possession when Stick discovered Joshua Palmer for a 79-yard landing. That was the primary time the Chargers made it previous the 50.