Here are the stats that explain how the Chargers beat their division rivals by 17 points on Sunday.
In a bounce-back win, the Los Angeles Chargers dominated a road game against the Las Vegas Raiders to the tune of 31-14. The game might be remembered for Brock Bowers' incredible one-handed TD catch or for Kimani Vidal's 59-yard rumbling TD run, but the real stories to focus on are how dominant the Chargers defense looked (and/or how inept the Raiders offense looked) and how another week of Justin Herbert getting battered behind this offensive line finally seems to have resulted in an injury.
180
That's the total number of rushing yards for Kimani Vidal and Jarret Patterson, who combined for 36 carries. Vidal added an 11 yard catch to his stat line, as well.
The Chargers finished with 161 more rushing yards than the Raiders, a stat so lopsided that it all but predetermined the outcome.
And, yeah, it was inconsistent at times. Almost half of the total yardage was picked up on two plays, a 59-yard TD run for Vidal and a 22-yard run for Patterson (he also ran in for a touchdown later in the game). Still, this is a game that was probably going to go to whichever running game could put up a decent showing and, today, that was Los Angeles.
70.5%
The Chargers played much of this game with either their backup QB, who seems incapable of throwing the football, or with Justin Herbert playing with one hand in a oven mitt (due to a hand/finger injury) and struggling to receive the snap as well as hand the ball off.
That is to say, it is utterly preposterous that the Chargers were able to convert 70.5% of their third down opportunities (12/17). The coaching staff tried like hell to keep Herbert from having to make hero plays to keep drives alive, but it kept happening and he kept pulling off daring scramble after laser throw like he wasn't hampered by injury outside of having to wear a bulky glove.
9
The Raiders ran 30 pass plays against the Chargers, and Geno Smith was pressured on 9 of them. 5 of those plays ended in him being sacked, and almost all of those sacks came on third down.
The Chargers defense was stout at all levels against Las Vegas. Geno Smith was constantly pressured, Ashton Jeanty couldn't get going (2.1 yards per carry) and only Blake Bowers (4 catches, 63 yds, 2 TDs) seemed capable of making the Los Angeles defense uncomfortable.
Special shoutout to Tuli Tuipulotu, who was in Geno Smith's face every time he could pin his ears back and finished the game with 2 sacks, 4 tackles for loss and a pass defended.
?
The most important number coming out of this game is "How many games will Justin Herbert have to miss, if any?" I've written about how little I think of the team's chances to win a game without Herbert, and their upcoming schedule wouldn't be doing Trey Lance any favors.
Herbert's performance after injuring his non-throwing hand was encouraging, even if it meant that he had to be more careful with how he used that hand, but I don't know how much that means in the eyes of the team doctors and trainers.