Los Angeles Chargers kicker Nick Novak (9) kicks the game winning field goal from the hold of Drew Kaser against the Oakland Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)

By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND-When the Los Angeles Chargers and the Oakland Raiders get together on the football field, you know it is going to be a battle to the end.

Well, this most definitely came down to the end, as Nick Novak kicked a 32-yard field goal with no time remaining in the game and the Chargers defeated the Raiders 17-16 before a crowd of 54,685 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Novak’s game-winning field goal came after Marquette King pinned the Chargers on their eight-yard line after a 58-yard punt.

On the first play of the drive, Phiilp Rivers found tight end Hunter Henry for a 34-yard pass play out to the Chargers 42-yard line. After a two-yard run by Melvin Gordon, it was the combo of Rivers and Henry once again, as Rivers found the big tight end for a 23-yard pass play out to the Raiders 33-yard line and put the Chargers into field goal range.

Gordon, who was terrific both on the ground and catching the ball, gained seven yards and brought the game to the two-minute warning.

Following the two-minute warning, Gordon became the bell cow, as he carried the ball on four straight possessions all the way down to the Raiders 10-yard line.

After two kneel downs by Rivers, Novak, who missed a 48-yard field goal on the Chargers second series of the game kicked the game-winner and sent them to their second straight win and the reeling Raiders to their fourth straight defeat.

Rivers was terrific on the afternoon, as he 25-for-36 for 268 yards passing and a touchdown to Gordon.

As for Gordon, he carried the ball 25 times for 83 yards and a touchdown, and he also caught nine passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.

“He’s a good running back, but it wasn’t nothing we couldn’t handle. They just got the best of us,” said David Amerson.

After missing just one game with multiple broken bones in his back, Derek Carr returned to the starting lineup for the Raiders.

In his return to the lineup, Carr went 21-for-30 for 171 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Carr gave the Raiders an early 7-0 lead, as he found Michael Crabtree for a 23-yard touchdown pass that saw Crabtree hit the pylon as he scored.

“Specifically, on Derek, I thought he did OK. It’s good to have him back, I know that. He missed threw a couple of things, but I thought for the most part he was fairly sharp,” said Jack Del Rio.

Crabtree ended the day with six catches for 52 yards, while Amari Cooper broke out of his slump, as he caught five passes for 28 yards.

Cordarelle Patterson caught one pass for five yards, but it was his 47-yard touchdown run on an end around with 7:51 remaining in the game that gave the Raiders a 16-14 lead; however, rookie Giorgio Tavecchio missed the extra point, as Jon Condo’s snap was high and that missed extra point was huge in the outcome of the game.

Tavecchio gave the Raiders a 10-7 lead at the half, as he nailed a 44-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Chargers took their first lead of the game, as Gordon scored on a six-yard pass from Rivers that gave them a 14-10 lead.

That lead lasted all of two minutes and 28 seconds, as Patterson scored on a 47-yard touchdown run that brought Raider Nation to their feet.

Unfortunately, in the end, it was the Novak field goal in the final seconds that doomed the Raiders and sent them to their fourth straight defeat.

NOTES: After a short week, the Raiders return to the Coliseum field on Thursday night, as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chargers return to Los Angeles, and will face the Denver Broncos on October 22 at Stubhub Center.

These two teams will meet on December 31 at the Stubhub Center in the regular season finale for both teams.