3 winners (and 1 loser) from Chargers' nail-biting win over Raiders

Chargers Week 4 winner: Asante Samuel Jr.

It has been rough for the Chargers secondary so far this season. The defense has struggled as a whole and the root cause of the issue has been a secondary that is giving up too many explosive plays regardless of who it is facing.

J.C. Jackson was awful in Week 1 and was eventually made a healthy scratch in Week 3. He was active in Week 4 but was not a starter. Michael Davis has been just as bad if not worse. Both starting safeties were ruled out in Week 4, leaving the Chargers with two practice squad players starting.

All signs were pointing to another disaster in Week 4 and the Chargers avoided it. The defense was by no means perfect, and it was helped by playing a rookie quarterback, but the team stepped up when it needed to the most. Asante Samuel Jr. was the leader of that effort.

Samuel has been up-and-down already in the 2023 season but he has been the best member of the secondary. He cemented that status on Sunday when he reeled in the game-winning interception in the red zone late in the fourth quarter.

That is exactly what Zont does for this defense. He is a playmaker who is always going to look for a chance to take the football away. We've seen it so many times in his young career and he will continue to make big plays like this for years to come.