The Chargers are opening their season at home against the Las Vegas Raiders. These teams met twice last year, and the home team won both games. Their second meeting was in the final game of the season, and a win meant a playoff berth for one of them. However, if a tie had occurred, both teams would have made the playoffs.
The game went into overtime after the Chargers stormed back from a 29 to 14 deficit with 4:35 left in the game. With only 38 seconds left in overtime, the Raiders had third-and-four from the Chargers’ 39-yard line when the Chargers called a timeout. It seemed as if the Raiders were taking their time, and if stopped on that play, they probably let the clock run out, and both teams would move on. They ran the ball with Josh Jacobs on the next play and picked up the first down. The Raiders inevitably called a timeout with only two seconds remaining and made the field goal, which eliminated the Chargers from the playoffs.
Los Angeles has likely circled this game on its calendar since the schedule was announced. It will not be hard for them to find a source of motivation to beat the Raiders on Sunday. Injuries, per usual, and offseason acquisitions will affect the outcome significantly this season as each team has made improvements to its roster.
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