So, we all understood what the scenario was. If the Raiders and Chargers tied at the end of overtime in the final game of the 2021 regular season, both teams would get into the postseason. If the Raiders won, the Chargers were out, and the Steelers were in.
As it turned out Justin Herbert’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams at the end of regulation put the game at 29-29, and we thought for all the world that the AFC West rivals had some sort of nudge-nudge-wink-wink agreement to proceed to the postseason. This theory advanced when the two teams traded field goals in overtime, and it was 32-32 with two seconds left.
Then, Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson booted a 47-yard field goal as overtime ran out, and that was that.
Stone-cold clutch. ❄️@DanielCarlson38 | #LACvsLV | More highlights on https://t.co/wXUK7ZZimE pic.twitter.com/CNEYzJLdw7
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 10, 2022
The Chargers had to go all-out to even get to overtime — on their final regulation drive, Herbert attempted 19 straight passes on a marathon that took just 2:06 off the game clock, but included seven first downs, and several of Herbert’s fourth-down conversions. Herbert did everything he could — his 64 passing attempts tied Rich Gannon of the Raiders in 2002 fir the seventh-most in a game in NFL history — but in the end, the Raiders had what the Chargers didn’t: A run game that exploited the L.A.’s pillow-soft run defense, and pass protection that made sense.
When Chargers head coach Brandon Staley and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi look back on this game, it will be with extreme regret that they didn’t help right tackle Storm Norton against Las Vegas pass-rush monster Maxx Crosby, who generated eight pressures in the fourth quarter alone. Norton hasn’t been up to the task against the league’s best edge defenders all season, and the ostensible argument that leaving skill players into chip Crosby and help Norton would reduce the passing game was left null and void by the constant pressure Herbert faced.
The pressure forces the pick.
You absolutely love to see it.#LACvsLV | NBC | @show_case29 pic.twitter.com/ddzV7gpDcl
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 10, 2022
There was also Staley’s decision to call time out with 38 seconds left in overtime, and the ball in the Raiders’ hands at the Los Angeles 46-yard line. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said after the game that this decision changed everything. Instead of a quick pass to reduce wear on the clock and the need for Las Vegas to take its final time out, the Raiders handed the ball once again to running back Josh Jacobs, who gained 10 yards and set up the winning field goal.
Now, the Raiders will face the Bengals next Saturday in the wild-card round. And the Chargers are left with what might have been.
