3 Takeaways from Raiders' Week 13 Win vs. Chargers
After a disappointing start to the 2022 season, the Las Vegas Raiders are on a roll now. They are finally winning the types of close games that so often went their opponents' way early in the year.
The Raiders extended their winning streak to three games on Sunday with a 27-20 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas, which was coming off back-to-back overtime road wins over the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, improved to 5-7.
The Chargers had a 13-10 lead at halftime, but the Raiders took control in the third quarter, when Derek Carr connected with Davante Adams for a pair of touchdown passes.
Las Vegas pushed its lead to 27-13 on Daniel Carlson's 25-yard field goal 11 seconds into the fourth and then held on for the victory.
Here are three takeaways from the Raiders' Week 13 win.
Adams Continues to Meet Lofty Expectations
Even when Las Vegas was struggling early in the season, Adams continued to put up big numbers. That's exactly what the Raiders were hoping for after they acquired the star playmaker in a trade with the Green Bay Packers over the offseason.
The 29-year-old isn't slowing down, either. On Sunday, he had eight catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns, the first of which put Las Vegas ahead for good 32 seconds into the third quarter. It was his fourth multi-TD game of the year, and he now has 1,176 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.
"The stats mean a lot to me in the sense that I'm holding up my end of the bargain," Adams told reporters. "I'm doing what I've got to do. The efficiency part of it is big, too."
By the time the season is over, the five-time Pro Bowler should have some even more impressive stats. He's had more than 100 yards in four of his past five games and has eclipsed the century mark seven times this year.
And now, Adams' contributions are helping the Raiders win, which is the most important thing for the team.
Jones' Breakthrough Game Encouraging for Pass Rush
While Adams has excelled all season, one of the Raiders' other top offseason acquisitions, defensive end Chandler Jones, got off to a bit of a slow start. Through 11 games, he had only a half-sack.
But the 32-year-old has been capable of putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks at a high rate, and he proved he can still do that on Sunday.
The 11-year NFL veteran recorded three sacks, all of which came in the first half. He also logged five total hits on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
"My main focus is winning," he told reporters. "The sky is the limit for our defense and our defensive line."
That's especially the case if Jones can carry over the momentum from this performance and continue to be productive down the stretch. When he's at his best, he can be a dominant force on the defensive front, and Las Vegas would benefit from having him at that level.
Raiders Have Great Opportunity to Keep Rolling
The Raiders may only be 5-7, but could they still make a push for the AFC playoffs? They're only two games out of a wild-card berth, and they have a favorable schedule coming up.
Las Vegas' next three matchups are against teams that are .500 or worse: the Los Angeles Rams (3-9), New England Patriots (6-6) and Pittsburgh Steelers (5-7). Then, the Raiders take on the San Francisco 49ers (8-4), which lost quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending broken foot on Sunday.
It's going to require some help from other teams losing in order for Las Vegas to make a late-season playoff push, but it has a good opportunity to at least take care of its own business.
If the Raiders can keep rolling, anything could happen by the time the regular season is over. They were a better team than their record indicated for much of the year, and now some of these close games are finally going their way, which could help them keep their momentum.