NFL Thursday Night Football Preview – Week 10: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers
The NFL’s slate of Thursday night games kicks off this week with an AFC West tilt. Here’s a preview:
Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers – 8:20 PM
Both teams enter the primetime contest on losing streaks. Oakland (4-4) has lost two games in a row, both to division rivals, after losing starting quarterback Jason Campbell to injury and subsequently acquiring Carson Palmer from Cincinnati. Palmer piled up 332 passing yards against Denver in his first Raiders’ start last week, but he also threw three more interceptions to raise his season total to six in just six quarters of play.
Oakland may not have running back Darren McFadden back from a foot injury. The Raiders need to run effectively, especially since San Diego has the fourth-ranked pass defense and seventh-best overall defense. The Raiders would also do well to reduce their mistakes. They lead the NFL in both penalties (84) and penalty yards (730) and are on pace to set league records in both categories.
The Chargers (4-4) have lost three games in a row, but they could have won all three contests. The key to the San Diego attack is the play of quarterback Philip Rivers, whose 17 turnovers, including 14 interceptions, lead the league. Rivers needs help from talented skill players, like Vincent Jackson and Ryan Mathews, who may return from injury. They can exploit an Oakland defensive unit that is ranked 27th in the NFL.