The second of Monday night’s games brought up an interesting question: who’s your team’s backup long snapper? After Jon Condo was forced out of the game with a concussion, backup linebacker Travis Goethel took over the responsibility and let’s just say he wasn’t up to the same standard as Jared Allen. Two snaps rolled along the ground to Shane Lechler and, to make matters worse, the one good snap resulted in a blocked punt. In a game with multiple special teams mishaps, the Chargers will be pleased to be the team that benefited for once.
It wasn’t just the special teams’ errors that decided the game, as Philip Rivers was able to deliver a number of deep strikes to his wide receivers. The Oakland defense did a good job of limiting San Diego’s offense to field goals, but their offense misfired as the new-look ground game struggled to get Darren McFadden into space, and Carson Palmer was unable to challenge the San Diego secondary.
This wasn’t the start the Raiders had in mind for their new regime, but the Chargers will be delighted to register their second-straight win in Oakland, having closed out the 2011 regular season with a win in the same stadium.
San Diego – Three Performances of Note
The Rise of Reyes
After a stellar collegiate career at the University of Connecticut, Kendall Reyes (+3.3) is off to a fast start to his NFL career. Chargers fans will soon forget Luis Castillo if Reyes can continue the form he showed as the first defensive end off the bench. He was a terror inside on passing downs, giving the interior of the Raiders’ line fits. Reyes amassed a hit and five QB hurries on just 23 rushes, and registered at least a hurry against both guards and the center. He used a variety of moves, and was equally adept with speed moves as he was with the bullrush. Reyes’ highlight came with 1:33 to go in the fourth quarter when he drove right guard Mike Brisiel deep into the backfield and then used an outside move to hit Palmer just as he released the ball. The performance leaves him second in our Pass Rushing Productivity rankings for 3-4 DEs (19.6), only 0.1 behind Darnell Dockett.
Ingram Looks the Part
Although the Chargers' second-round pick may have taken the spotlight, Melvin Ingram didn’t disappoint in his first NFL game. Although he played just 24 snaps, the majority in the nickel, he was able to register a hit and two hurries on his way to a +1.8 pass rush grade. He consistently timed his get-off well and he showed impressive closing speed for such a big man. Ingram capitalized on a favorable matchup against right tackle Khalif Barnes, highlighted by his hurry with 44 seconds to go in the second quarter when he got into Palmer’s face in no time at all. He also came up with a big play in the first, as he lay a huge hit on rookie receiver Rod Streater and forced a fumble. He blotted his copybook a little by drawing a roughing the passer penalty that unnecessarily extended the game for the Raiders, but all in all, this was a positive debut from the former South Carolina Gamecock.
Gaither Out? The Rookie Steps Up
With Jared Gaither’s back problems flaring up again, the Chargers were forced to go with undrafted free agent Michael Harris at left tackle. He didn’t play to the former Ravens’ standards, but it was a promising start for a player who was snubbed on draft day. He allowed just the solitary hurry to Dave Tollefson on 36 dropbacks, but even then he didn’t do a terrible job on the play, and only conceded the pressure late. Harris didn’t have the easiest of matchups, Matt Shaughnessy is no slouch and he lined up 40 times at DRE, so this was an impressive performance. Shaughnessy did get the better of this duel on the ground, but after the debacle the Chargers suffered last season when they fielded a lesser left tackle against the Raiders, this performance will have been exciting to see for Charger fans.
Oakland – Three Performances of Note
Veldheer Shines
After somewhat of a breakout season in 2011, Jared Veldheer (+2.8) was again the shining light on Oakland’s offensive line with a solid display to open the season. Outside of some issues with Antwan Barnes, whose speed troubles most tackles around the league, Veldheer looked comfortable all night. The Raiders had very little success running the ball, but that wasn’t the fault of Veldheer who made successful blocks at the line of scrimmage and when he worked up to the linebackers. He had a good battle with second-year DE Corey Liuget, and got the better of him on the majority of blocks, but Liuget did find a way to register one tackle for a short gain. Raiders fans will hope that Veldheer’s performances can start to rub off on his fellow linemen, who struggled in this game.
McClain Controls the Middle
Middle linebacker Rolando McClain really came to play against the Chargers. He had perhaps the most dominant performance against the run of any linebacker in Week 1, even though the stat sheet reads just four stops. McClain made five tackles at or around the line of scrimmage and was equally adept shedding blocks and finding the ball carrier in traffic. He also generated a (joint) team-leading two QB hurries on just six rushes, and timed his blitzes well. The Alabama alum has a poor track record in coverage, so it is somewhat of a surprise that the Chargers didn’t look to test him more there. He was targeted only once, tackling Ronnie Brown for a 4-yard gain, and seemed to blanket receivers underneath.
Streater Struggles in Debut
With both Denarius Moore and the ever-injured Jacoby Ford out, undrafted rookie Rod Streater got a chance to make a name for himself on a national stage. Despite finishing the night with his first career touchdown, his debut was not quite what he might have dreamed of. Streater (-2.7) struggled to generate separation and, as previously mentioned, he got off to a bad start by fumbling after a reception when taking a strong hit from fellow rookie Melvin Ingram. He also dropped an out route during the Raiders’ two-minute drill at the end of the half and only collected four of the nine passes targeted to him. The touchdown will make the night a memorable one for him, but in the short term Streater has plenty to work on if he is to be the change of pace receiver that the Raiders need to complement the speed threats of Moore, Ford and Darrius Heyward-Bey.
Game Notes
– Although WR Eddie Royal got the first snap in two receiver sets, it was Robert Meachem who played more snaps, registering 36 snaps compared to Royal’s 22.
– The Chargers clearly set out to split playing time evenly for their backs in the absence of Ryan Mathews; new signing Ronnie Brown got the start but amassed fewer snaps (27 to 31) and fewer touches (10 to 13) than Curtis Brinkley.
– The Raiders were forced to release Stanford Routt due to cap concerns this spring. His immediate replacement, Ron Bartell, got off to an inauspicious start and surrendered long completions to both Robert Meachem (46 yards) and Malcom Floyd (23 yards). Bartell also suffered a broken shoulder blade and will miss at least the next month.
PFF Game Ball
In a game that lacked a star, Rolando McClain was the closest to it on either side. The Chargers couldn’t, or chose not to, exploit him in coverage, which allowed him to flourish in run defense and lead the charge to shut down the San Diego run game.
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