Here are the game notes following the Oakland Raiders 19-16 win over the San Diego Chargers, presented by Microsoft Surface.
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Raiders 19, Chargers 16
The Raiders defeated the Chargers by a score of 19-16, clinching their first playoff berth since 2002 when the Raiders advanced to Super Bowl XXXVII with an 11-5 record.
The win gives the Silver and Black a record of 11-3 for the first time since 2000. That year, the Raiders finished with a 12-4 record on the season and advanced to the AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Oakland has a four-game winning streak against San Diego, improving their advantage in the all-time series to 62-50-2. The Raiders have swept the season series against the Chargers in back-to-back years for the first time since 2001-02.
The Raiders now hold a 3-2 record against AFC West opponents, tying last year's win total against the division. Their final game against the AFC West will be in Week 17 against the Broncos in Denver.
Game Themes
With one touchdown against the Chargers today, Oakland has now recorded 40 total on the season. It's the first time the Raiders have registered at least 40 touchdowns in two consecutive seasons since 1999-2002.
QB Derek Carr earned his seventh fourth quarter comeback win of the season, which leads the AFC and is tied for second in the NFL.
**QB Derek Carr
**
QB Derek Carrorchestrated the Raiders' only touchdown drive of the game, a six-play, 75-yard drive, with less than two minutes left in the first half. Carr connected with WR Michael Crabtree in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown pass to tie the game up at 10.
Carr has put on a stellar performance within the last two minutes of first-half play in 2016, completing 34-of-47 attempts for 345 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions for a passer rating of 114.2.
On Carr's first pass of the game, an 8-yard completion to Crabtree, he became just the second player in Raiders history with multiple 3,500-yard passing seasons, joining Rich Gannon who had three (1999, 2001 and 2002). Carr is the 15th NFL player with 3,500 passing yards in two of their first three seasons.
Carr finished 19-of-30 for 213 yards with one touchdown and one interception, as he earned a passer rating of 81.7 during his seventh fourth-quarter comeback of the 2016 season.
WR Michael Crabtree
WR Michael Crabtree hauled in a 13-yard touchdown pass from QB Derek Carrwith 22 seconds left in the first half for the Raiders' first touchdown of the game.
Crabtree's eighth touchdown of the season, which tied the game at 10 apiece, was a culmination of a six-play, 75-yard drive lasting 1:07.
His eighth touchdown reception gives him the second most this season amongst his fellow AFC receivers and is the second most within a single season during his eight-year career.
Crabbtree's day ended with six receptions for 60 yards (10.0 avg.) with one touchdown.
**LB Bruce Irvin
**
With 4:01 left in the first quarter, LB Bruce Irvin took down QB Philip Rivers for his sixth sack of the season The sack, good for a loss of three, marked his fourth in the last five games.
Irvin closed out the first quarter with a forced fumble, his fifth of the season. Irvin is now tied for second in the league with DE Khalil Mack with five forced fumbles.
Irvin recorded his second sack of the game, a 5-yard loss, with 2:31 left in the game. The sack made it third-and-15 at San Diego's 9-yard line. His multi-sack performance is his first this season and sixth of his career.
Irvin finished with six tackles (five solo) and two sacks on the day.
DL Denico Autry
Late in the third quarter, DL Denico Autry recorded a sack on third-and-6, taking QB Philip Rivers down for a loss of eight yards. It marks his second sack in the last three games.
The sack brings his career total to 5.5, which marks the fifth most career sacks by an undrafted Raider.
Autry finished with three tackles and one sack in the game.
LB Perry Riley Jr.
LB Perry Riley helped the Raiders record their first takeaway of the game by forcing a fumble with 11:44 left in the fourth quarter. The fumble was recovered by LB Malcolm Smith and resulted in a 21-yard field goal by K Sebastian Janikowski.
Riley Jr. finished with five tackles on the day with one forced fumble.
LB Malcolm Smith
LB Malcolm Smith came up big for the Raiders early in the fourth quarter by recording his first career fumble recovery and giving Oakland great field position at San Diego's 13-yard line. Smith's fumble recovery lead to a 21-yard field goal to tie the game at 16 with 8:44 left in the game.
Smith finished with five tackles (four solo) and one fumble recovery.
**S Reggie Nelson
**
S Reggie Nelson sealed the victory for the Raiders with a late interception of QB Philip Rivers, Oakland's second takeaway of the game. With 1:51 left in the game, Nelson returned his fourth interception of the season for 15 yards and led to another kneel down by the offense.
Nelson ended the day with three tackles, one interception and one pass defensed.
K Sebastian Janikowski
K Sebastian Janikowskigot the Raiders on the board early in the first quarter as he split the uprights from 45 yards out, cutting the Chargers lead to 7-3.
Janikowski gave Oakland its first lead of the game by connecting on a 33-yard field goal with 10:52 left in the third quarter, giving the Raiders a 13-10 advantage.
After Oakland's defense forced and recovered a fumble early in the fourth quarter, Janikowski converted the takeaway into a 21-yard field goal to tie the game at 16 apiece.
Janikowski recorded his fourth field goal of the day, a 44 yarder with 2:42 left in the game, to give the Silver and Black a 19-16 advantage.
His fourth field goal of the day also marked the 22nd game in his career recording at least four in a game.
Other Notables
RB Latavius Murray
Murray rushed 13 times for 81 yards (6.2 avg.) on the day while also hauling in one reception for 11 yards.
RB Jalen Richard
Richard helped the rushing attack by adding 36 yards on six carries (6.0 avg.) and also recorded four receptions for 13 yards (3.3 avg.).
WR Amari Cooper
Cooper hauled in a 28-yard pass, his only reception of the day, totaling his 19th catch of 20-plus yards on the season. His 19 such receptions are fourth most in the NFL this year.
