San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is having a great individual season, but his 7-7 team faces a must-win situation today against the Oakland Raiders if they hope to have team success and reach the playoffs. Winning today’s Raiders game and next week against the Chiefs is required for the Chargers to advance, as are Ravens and Dolphins losses. The 4-10 Raiders, meanwhile, have zero hope of sniffing the playoffs, and in fact their head coach is on the hot seat. Two teams desperate for different reasons should make for a good live broadcast today. You can catch the game on CBS or watch Raiders vs Chargers online free using one of several different tools.
The Raiders have lost six of their past seven games and haven’t appeared to be getting any better. Last week against Kansas City the Raiders offense turned the ball over seven times while their defense allowed a franchise-worst 56 points. Oakland’s offense, with Matt McGloin once again getting the start at quarterback, could be in for a better day in today’s Chargers game as San Diego has the 25th-ranked defense in the NFL. The Raiders defense, though, will surely have its hands full against Chargers QB Philip Rivers and the league’s fourth-ranked passing game and sixth-ranked total offense.
Rivers has had an incredible season, with his efficient passing earning him the third QBR and a 106.9 passer rating, a 69.9 completion percentage and 28 touchdowns to go with his 4,048 passing yards. On the whole, the 32-year-old quarterback has done well leading the Chargers offense, getting it downfield fast when he needs to or grinding it out by handing it to 1,000-yard-rusher Ryan Matthews. The Raiders defense may be ranked 18th in the league, but recently Oakland has been playing much worse than its rating indicates. That means Rivers, playing at home and with the playoffs on the line, is poised for a big game.
With that said, watch Raiders vs Chargers online free to see whether the Raiders can sweep San Diego this season. These two teams last met in Week 5, with the Raiders winning handily by 10 points at home. The Raiders are certainly capable of doing the same in today’s Chargers game, especially if San Diego doesn’t have an answer for the Raiders rushing game. Oakland can run the football with both Rashad Jennings and Marcel Reece, with Jennings having 679 yards and six touchdowns for an average of 4.6 yards per carry. Oakland’s Week 5 victory came in part due to solid running and big plays, so look for Oakland to hit the ground running — literally — in this Week 16 AFC West rivalry rematch.
Still, it took two touchdown passes in the first quarter from QB Terrelle Pryor and Charles Woodson tying an NFL record with his 13th defensive touchdown for Oakland to win at home. Today’s game is being played in Qualcomm Stadium, Pryor has been replaced by Matt McGloin, and San Diego will be laying it all on the line in a last-ditch effort to make the playoffs. That sounds like a recipe for a Chargers win in this big AFC rivalry game, and it’s likely why ESPN has the Chargers as the unanimous odds-on favorite to win.
You can watch Raiders vs Chargers online free live streaming on DirecTV’s website if you subscribe to their NFL Sunday Ticket with MAX. The MAX broadcast package requires an additional subscription fee, but if you pay it you’ll be able to watch the live streaming version free of any NFL game, including today’s 4:25pm EST / 1:25pm PST Week 16 NFL game between the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers.
