Raiders beat Chargers as Masses sparks defense

Masses finished with five tackles, one tackle for loss, two passes defended and two interceptions. The Raiders intercepted Herbert twice and forced three Los Angeles turnovers overall.

Cousins answers early mistake with three touchdowns

Kirk Cousins’ afternoon started poorly when Tre Tucker slipped on a route and Cam Hart intercepted the pass on Las Vegas’ opening possession. Cousins recovered quickly.

He finished 19-of-29 for 253 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, posting a 113.1 passer rating. Cousins repeatedly attacked downfield even as the Raiders struggled to generate much on the ground.

Tucker drove the passing game with five catches for 119 yards. His 40-yard touchdown in the second quarter gave Las Vegas a 7-0 lead, and his 42-yard reception while Cousins absorbed a hit set up Matt Gay’s career-long 59-yard field goal just before halftime.

Cody White became the unexpected red-zone finisher. He caught only two passes, but both went for touchdowns, including a 13-yard score on 3rd-and-10 in the third quarter and an 11-yard touchdown with 2:59 remaining.

The second score gave Las Vegas a 24-14 lead and finally created breathing room in a game that had refused to settle down.

Dean changes the fourth quarter

Nakobe Dean was everywhere when the Raiders needed him most.

Dean finished with 10 tackles, two quarterback hits and half a sack. More important, he delivered two of the biggest defensive plays of the fourth quarter.

First, Dean diagnosed a third-down draw and stuffed Hampton for no gain, forcing a punt. Later, after Las Vegas was flagged for having too many men on the field following a timeout, Dean immediately erased the mistake.

Hampton ran up the middle, Dean knocked the ball loose and Jeremy Chinn recovered at the Raiders 41. Chinn returned it 43 yards to the Chargers 16, setting up White’s second touchdown.

That sequence captured the Raiders’ day. Las Vegas made enough mistakes to keep Los Angeles alive, then repeatedly answered those mistakes with impact plays.

Crosby pressure finishes it

Maxx Crosby did not need a huge sack total to control his matchup with Joe Alt. Crosby pressured Herbert throughout the afternoon and repeatedly stressed the Chargers’ protection.

The final example came with 1:41 remaining and Los Angeles backed up at its own 6. Alt held Crosby in the end zone, resulting in a safety that pushed the Raiders’ lead to 26-14.

Malcolm Koonce added 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hits, while Eric Stokes recorded a sack that forced Herbert to fumble near his own goal line. Las Vegas finished with three sacks and nine quarterback hits.

The performance mattered because the Raiders could not lean on the formula that carried them in Week 1. Ashton Jeanty managed 48 yards on 21 carries, while Las Vegas rushed for only 57 yards and 2.0 yards per attempt.

Los Angeles ran for 127 yards and controlled possession for much of the afternoon, yet the Raiders won the turnover battle 3-1 and consistently produced the game’s biggest plays.

Kubiak said Friday that every NFL Sunday should be approached as a desperate game. His team played that way when the fourth quarter became chaotic, and Las Vegas left SoFi Stadium 2-0 after another defense-driven finish.

Related stories