Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh loves to run the football, and even without his top two running backs, that’s what he’s doing.
The Chargers ran all over the Raiders today, with Kimani Vidal leading the way with 126 yards and a touchdown, and Jaret Patterson contributing 54 yards and a touchdown as well, as the Chargers shook off a sluggish first half to earn an easy 31-14 win.
Although the Chargers’ top two running backs, Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris, are out with injuries, that doesn’t change their offensive approach. Harbaugh likes to establish the run, and he’s doing it.
Of course, Harbaugh also likes to see quarterback Justin Herbert air it out, but today Herbert suffered a left hand injury that forced him to leave the game briefly, and Harbaugh seemed especially committed to keeping him safe. Herbert completed 15 of 20 passes for 151 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception.
It helped that the Raiders’ offense couldn’t do much of anything. The lone bright spot for the Raiders was the play of their stellar tight end, Brock Bowers, who scored both of their touchdowns. Bowers’ second touchdown pass, on which he somehow got his hand under the ball and kept it off the ground as he fell to the turf in the end zone, was one of the best plays of this NFL season.
Late in the game, as the Raiders’ frustrations boiled over, Maxx Crosby got a 15-yard penalty for shoving Herbert to the ground long after the play was over. Crosby can expect a fine from the league office this week.
At 8-4, the Chargers are in good shape in the playoff race. At 2-10, the Raiders are in a race for the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
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