Live coverage: Three Carr interceptions prove Raiders’ undoing in LA

By Case Keefer (contact)

Published Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022 | 2 a.m.

Updated Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022 | 5:22 p.m.

Finding a way to balance the target share between Davante Adams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow was too much for Raiders quarterback Derek Carr in the debut of the star receiving trio.

Carr threw an interception on passes intended for each one of them in a 24-19 loss to the Chargers Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium. Las Vegas didn’t play poorly overall, but the turnovers were the difference as Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert had the cleaner statistical line with 279 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Herbert threw touchdown passes to fullback Zander Horvath (a 1-yarder in the second quarter), DeAndre Carter (a 23-yarder in the second quarter) and Gerald Everett (an 18-yarder in the third quarter). Carr threw two touchdown passes, one to Brandon Bolden in the third quarter and one to Adams in the fourth.

Adams had a strong debut in silver and black, grabbing 10 receptions for 141 yards. He did appear frustrated early in the fourth quarter when Carr underthrew a deep pass intended for him in the corner of the end zone that landed in the arms of Chargers cornerback Assante Samuel Jr.

Carr’s first interception, in the second quarter, was similarly thrown behind tight end Darren Waller and into two Chargers to allow an interception by linebacker Drue Tranquill. The Chargers capitalized on the turnover with the touchdown pass to Carter, giving them a 17-3 halftime lead.

Carr’s final interception was on a shorter route when he looked for Renfrow but gave Chargers cornerback Bryce Callahan an easy takeaway.

Sacks were just as big of an issue for Carr and the Raiders’ offensive line, as he took five on the day including three by former Raider and close friend Khalil Mack. The Raiders had a chance for a game-winning drive near the two-minute warning but, on a fourth-and-eight play, Mack drove Raiders left tackle Kolton Miller back and stripped the ball from Carr.

It was disappointing debut for Raiders coach Josh McDaniels, even though the Raiders had their chances. Carr tallied 295 yards on 22-for-37 passing but all the production was outweighed by the turnover issues.

This is a developing story. Check back to lasvegassun.com later for more coverage and read below for live coverage from throughout the game.

Raiders not going down easily

Davante Adams has scored his first touchdown as a Raider.

On his fourth target in the end zone this afternoon, Derek Carr finally put the ball where his superstar receiver could grab it. Adams snagged a low, outside pass on an out route near the pylon to bring the Raiders within five points of the Chargers with about four minutes to play at SoFi Stadium.

It’s Chargers 24, Raiders 19 after Las Vegas failed to convert the two-point conversion. It was a three-yard touchdown for Adams, giving him nine catches for 129 yards on the day. The Raiders' last two drives had ended on Carr interceptions. 

Raiders settle for field goal

Daniel Carlson made a short field goal to start the game, and has now added a long one to cut the Chargers' lead to 24-13.

Carlson converted on a 55-yard attempt on the Raiders' second drive of the second half, which gained 43 yards on 11 plays. Las Vegas converted a fourth-down play to receiver Hunter Renfrow, his first catch of the day, but went backwards from there. 

Chargers answer Raiders' touchdown drive

Justin Herbert continued picking apart the Raiders’ secondary in the Chargers’ first drive of the second half.

The third-year quarterback methodically took Los Angeles 73 yards down the field in just less than six minutes, throwing his third touchdown pass with an 18-yard bullet to Gerald Everett.

The Chargers lead 24-10.

Raiders safety Roderic Teamer was in position to make a play on Everett but was drug into the end zone by the bullying tight end. Herbert has now completed all but four passes on a day where he has 259 passing yards.

Raiders score their first touchdown of the season

Derek Carr must have left his second quarter struggles in the locker room because he came out for the second half and quickly got the Raiders back in the game.

The Chargers’ lead is cut to 17-10 after Carr connected with running back Brandon Bolden for an 18-yard touchdown to cap a 5-play, 75-yard drive. The first two plays of the drive both went to Davante Adams, who picked up 52 yards to bring his total on the day to seven catches for 116 yards.

Bolden then gained five yards on 1^st-and-10 from the 23-yard line before Carr had an incompetion on second down. On third down, Bolden came out of the backfield to get behind the coverage in the end zone.

Chargers up two scores at halftime

The Raiders had a promising first offensive drive at SoFi Stadium, but it’s been almost all downhill from there.

The Chargers lead 17-3 at halftime after a pair of Justin Herbert touchdown passes. The latest was a 23-yard laser to DeAndre Carter, who has three catches for 64 yards, with 35 seconds to go.

The scoring drive was set up by an interception from Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who tried to force a pass intended for Darren Waller into double coverage. Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill picked off the pass and returned it 20 yards to the 31-yard line.

It took the Chargers only two plays to score from there. Herbert has completed 17 of 20 pass attempts for 204 yards while Carr sits at 8-for-14 for 96 yards.

The Chargers have also sacked Carr three times with the latest pair coming from former Raider Khalil Mack.

Chargers score game's first touchdown

Justin Herbert is back to his old ways, marching his Chargers' team right down the field against the Raiders.

Los Angeles just had the first touchdown of the game off an 8-play, 67-yard drive that concluded with Herbert finding fullback Zander Horvath for a 1-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-goal. The biggest play of the drive came when Chargers receiver Keenan Allen left Raiders cornerback Rock Ya-Sin in the dust for a 42-yard gain.

Herbert nearly scrambled in a touchdown, but opted to slide at the four-yard line where he took a late hit from cornerback Nate Hobbs. That brought the ball to the 1-yard line where the Chargers scored after three tries.

Raiders, Chargers trade field goals early in LA

The Raiders' offense was better than the Chargers' offenses on the teams' respective first drive, but the result was the same.

It's 3-3 after Dustin Hopkins made a 43-yard field goal for Los Angeles followed by Daniel Carlson converting a 23-yarder for Las Vegas. The Raiders got down to the 4-yard line, largely due to Davante Adams hauling in three catches for 54 yards, but couldn't punch it into the end zone.

Raiders’ inactive list mostly consists of rookies

Ten rookies made the Raiders’ initial 53-man roster, but only half of them will be active for the season opener this afternoon at the Chargers.

Defensive tackle Neil Farrell, defensive tackle Matthew Butler, running back Brittain Brown, linebacker Darien Butler and safety Isaiah Pola-Mao were all part of the Raiders’ just-released inactive list. Veteran edge rusher Tashawn Bower, who made the team after a dominant preseason, will also be inactive today at SoFi Stadium.

That leaves guard Dylan Parham, running back Zamir White, tackle Thayer Munford, linebacker Luke Masterson and cornerback Sam Webb as the debuting Raider rookie contingent in the game that’s scheduled to kick off at 1:25. The final two in that list are both undrafted free agents.

White is

expected to have the biggest role of the contingent, as the second on the depth chart behind Josh Jacobs with a share of carries likely to be given to him. None of the Raiders’ inactives are injured, unlike the Chargers which had cornerback J.C. Jackson and tight end Donald Parham as part of their list.

The Raiders will enter Week 1 as the healthier team.

PREGAME PREVIEW

The AFC West rivals Las Vegas Raiders and LA Chargers reprise the instant-classic game they staged at the conclusion of last season to welcome this season. No one is expecting a straight sequel of the 35-32 overtime victory that lifted the Raiders to the playoffs and sent the Chargers home for the offseason, though. Too much has changed, especially in Las Vegas. The Raiders are breaking in new schemes on both sides of the ball under new coach Josh McDaniels. The Chargers’ systems should be more solidified in coach Brandon Staley’s second year, but he’s revamped the team’s defensive personnel to fit better with his principles. Five newcomers are listed as starters on the Chargers’ initial defensive depth chart, including former Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack and All-Pro cornerback J.C. Jackson, who’s doubtful to play in Week 1. That’s quite the one-two punch of star offseason acquisitions, but the Raiders boast an arguably even better version in wide receiver Davante Adams and edge rusher Chandler Jones.

Favorable matchup: Raiders’ receivers vs. Chargers’ secondary

The Chargers’ defensive back group is quite strong, especially if Jackson is anywhere near full strength coming off an ankle injury that kept him sidelined over the second half of training camp. But the question is if that matters at all against a Raiders receiving corps that ranks among the best in the league. Fans have dreamt about seeing the trio of Adams, tight end Darren Waller and slot receiver Hunter Renfrow all on the field at the same time for quarterback Derek Carr, and they’ll get their first glance today. None of them played a single snap in the preseason, and Waller didn’t practice much in training camp with a lingering hamstring issue, but they are all expected to get a full workload against the Chargers. The potential is so vast with so much proven talent and complementary skillsets that it’s fair to wonder if anyone will be capable of stopping them — even a Chargers secondary with a star trio of its own in Jackson, safety Derwin James and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.

Problematic matchup: Chargers’ pass rush vs. Raiders’ offensive line

Carr took a beating in a pair of matchups against the Chargers a year ago, getting sacked a combined seven times as part of 13 total quarterback hits. Chargers edge rusher Joey Bosa made it no secret that throwing waves of exotic rush packages was part of the team’s game plan after a 28-14 win last October, saying Carr “really gets shook” under pressure. Expect a similar approach this year, especially with Las Vegas trotting out a nearly identical offensive line to the one that faced Los Angeles in that game. Only one starter will be different, right guard Lester Cotton, as current right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor played that position in the first game against the Chargers last year. Alex Leatherwood was the starting right tackle in the game, but he was cut at the conclusion of training camp, and Eluemunor has slid over to start in his spot. The offensive line is the Raiders’ biggest weakness on paper, and it will be tested immediately.

Gamebreaker: Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin

The fourth-year cornerback out of Temple was a distant third most-celebrated acquisition of the offseason after Adams and Jones, but he will play as big a role as those two Pro Bowlers against the Chargers. Los Angeles has a pass-heavy offense with third-year quarterback Justin Herbert, who threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns in keeping his team alive through regulation in last year’s season finale at Allegiant Stadium. New Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has traditionally designated a No. 1 defensive back who takes the key passing matchup on every play instead of keeping his cornerbacks on a certain side on the field. Second-year riser Nate Hobbs could eventually earn the role, but for the start of the season, it looks like it will be Ya-Sin, whom the Raiders got in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts for edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue. Ya-Sin is highly physical, and therefore a good matchup on paper with 6-foot-4 Chargers receiver Mike Williams, but more of a question mark against the shiftier Keenan Allen.

Big Number: 0

Las Vegas committed zero turnovers through the preseason, becoming the first NFL team since 2011 (Pittsburgh) to do so. And there just might be something more to it than sheer coincidence. Turnover numbers are typically highly volatile from year to year, but the New England Patriots are one team that has consistently bucked the trend for the past 20 years. McDaniels has spent all but three seasons of his 23-year NFL coaching career with the Patriots and is bringing many of the franchise’s principles to the Raiders. New England is also renowned for ranking near the bottom of the league in penalties, and sure enough, Las Vegas drew a sparse 13 flags over four games in the preseason. The Raiders have long been among the most penalized and careless teams in the NFL, and if McDaniels has tricks to turn around that reputation, he’ll have a shortcut to sustained success.

Best Bet (0-0): Hunter Renfrow over 5.5 receptions at +120 (i.e. risking $100 to win $120)

Including the playoff loss to the Bengals, Renfrow averaged just more than six catches per game last year. There’s a widespread belief that his opportunities will drop with the team signing Adams, but that’s not necessarily the case. With McDaniels as their longtime offensive coordinator, the Patriots targeted the slot receiver far more often than the Raiders’ past regime. Additionally, if the Chargers are plotting at taking away anyone, it would most likely be Adams. There’s a good chance the former Green Bay Packer draws double teams on the outside or deep to further open the middle of the field where Renfrow reigns. The 5.5 line might be fair at a pick’em price, but the over shouldn’t be offered a high plus-money payout.

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.