By Jeremy Kahn
photo credit: CBS Sports & screengrabber.com Oakland Raiders Charles Woodson saying goodbye to Oakland crowd for last time
OAKLAND-On a night where the Oakland Raiders were playing the final home game of Charles Woodson’s 18-year NFL career, the Raiders won a thriller over their longtime rival, the San Diego Chargers.
Sebastian Janikowski hit a 31-yard field goal on the Raiders only series of the overtime period, and the defense stopped the Chargers on fourth and 3 to win the game 23-20 in overtime at the Coliseum.
Woodson, who announced his retirement on Monday played one play on offense, but was tackled for a three-yard loss.
The overtime series for the Raiders included five penalties for the Raiders, but the biggest play of the overtime came when Denzel Perryman was called for unnecessary roughness after Michael Crabtree caught a Derek Carr pass. Prior to the Crabtree catch and subsequent Perryman penalty, the Raiders were staring a 2nd and 29 in the face.
“It was a great job there. Derek (Carr) made a couple of huge throws on that drive, a couple of big time catches on that drive. We had to overcome a few calls. I told him when he came off, I said, ‘Hey man, that was the game winner. Great job.’ Because he wanted the touchdown to end it right there. We’re going to stop right here.’ It was a great way to finish for sure,” said Jack Del Rio.
The Raiders were called for two offensive holdings and a false start before Carr found Crabtree for five yards, and then 15 yards were added on due to the Perryman penalty.
“I didn’t have the perfect look. The guys upstairs thought it was a clean. That’s a penalty, so we will live it,” said Chargers Head Coach Mike McCoy.
The big play in overtime was a Carr pass to Seth Roberts for 33 yards down to the Chargers 10-yard line.
Donald Brown gave the Chargers a 7-0 lead with 9:09 remaining in the first quarter, but the Raiders drove right down the field to tie the game, when Latavius Murraay scored from 22 yards out.
Carr went 23-for-38 for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception that came on the fifth play of the game.
The Chargers retook the lead, when Dontrelle Inman caught a seven-yard pass from Philip Rivers in the second quarter.
Janikowski nailed a 50-yard field goal to cut the Chargers lead down to 14-10, for his 52nd career field goal from 50-plus yards, tying former Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson for the most field goals from 50 yards or more.
With his two field goals on the night, Janikowski moved past former Kansas City Chiefs kicker Nick Lowery for the 10th most field goals in NFL history. The 16-year veteran out of Florida State now has 383 in his career.
Murray carried the ball 19 times for 79 yards, giving him 1,035 on the season, as the Raiders now have a 1,000 yard rusher in Murray, a 1,000 yard receiver in Amari Cooper and a 3,000 yard in Carr. This is the fourth time in team history that the Raiders have accomplished this feat and the first time since 2005, when Lamont Jordan, Randy Moss and Kerry Collins turned the feat.
The Raiders also accomplished it in 1997 with Napoleon Kaufman, Tim Brown and Jeff George, and then in 2000, with Tyrone Wheatley, Brown and Rich Gannon.
Josh Lambo gave the Chargers a seven-point going into the halftime break, as he nailed a 47-yard field goal.
The Raiders got two points back when Denico Autry sacked Rivers in the end zone for a safety.
After Marquette King pinned the Chargers on their 14-yard line after a 53-yard punt, the Chargers took the ball and began a time consuming drive that saw Lambo kick a 53-yard field goal to give the Chargers a 23-14 lead; however Khalil Mack was called for defensive holding, giving the Chargers another first down. With the series for the Chargers continuing, the Chargers drove some more down the field, but D.J. Fluker was called for offensive holding. Lambo missed a 48-yard field goal and the 7:38 drive was all for naught.
The Raiders went three-and-out, and the Chargers could have closed it out, but David Johnson stripped of the ball by Malcolm Smith and Benson Mayowa picked up the ball and rumbled down to the Chargers three-yard line.
Carr then found Crabtree from three yards out, and the subsequent two-point conversion gave the Raiders a three-point lead.
Lambo kicked a 45-yard field goal that tied up the game with 55 seconds remaining in regulation.
King ended regulation with a 65-yard punt.
By Morris Phillips
