Raiders disaster reminds Chargers fans that it could always be worse
By Jason Reed
![Indianapolis Colts v Las Vegas Raiders Indianapolis Colts v Las Vegas Raiders](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3664,h_2061,x_0,y_102/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/13/01ghvs1sj7z74ghmjp72.jpg)
The LA Chargers fell to the San Francisco 49ers in a backbreaking game on Sunday Night Football. With all of the team's injuries, the Bolts went into the game as over touchdown underdogs and battled with San Francisco to actually put the offense in a situation to drive down and win the game.
However, the combination of bad play-calling, a laundry list of injuries and the 49ers' defense being one of the best in the league was enough to keep the Chargers out of the win column. While the Chargers fought through adversity, it was still painful for fans.
It was painful, in part, because it was a game that the team could have definitely stolen. Making it worse, though, was that the Bolts suffered even more injuries, with promising rookie Otito Ogbonnia likely missing the rest of the season.
While things have not been great for the Chargers this season, the team is still 5-4 and is set to get healthier moving forward. At the very least, they are in a spot to at least make a run at the playoffs, which cannot be said about the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas Raiders can help add serious perspective for Chargers fans.
The Raiders have been a disaster class from the start of the season when they lost in Week 1 to the LA Chargers. After all of the smack talk from Raiders fans all summer long, the team has come out and been the most disappointing of any team in the NFL.
Vegas suffered its most embarrassing loss of the season in Week 10, losing to Jeff Saturday and the Indianapolis Colts in his NFL coaching debut. This loss moved the Raiders to 2-7, and prompted a fairly emotional press conference from Derek Carr after the game.
This is rock bottom. pic.twitter.com/BmI9rLB1hF
— Keith Ricci (@KeithRicci) November 14, 2022
Not only have the results not been there for the Raiders this season but the off-field distractions have been just as plentiful. Vegas shockingly waived 2019 first-round pick Jonathan Abram, which continues the team's horrible streak with first-round pick.
One of those first-round picks that have been cursed is Clelin Ferrell, who has not been very productive for the Raiders in his NFL career. The fourth overall pick in 2019 was one of seveal inactive Raiders in Week 10 for reasons unrelated to football.
#Raiders HC Josh McDaniels said that the three defensive players who were healthy scratches — Clelin Ferrell, Matthew Butler and Neil Farrell — didn't play due to an in-house matter that wasn't football related. He didn't specify what it was.
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) November 14, 2022
The wheels are falling off for the Raiders and don't get me wrong, it is a beautiful thing for Chargers fans to see. Making the playoffs is obviously the no. 1 goal and priority, but it is still always nice to see the Raiders flounder, especially after all of that talk.
And at the very least, it provides perspective. The Chargers have been better than both the Raiders and Denver Broncos (who are a disaster in their own right) despite being dealt a much worse hand than both AFC West foes. If the Raiders and Broncos had the kind of bad injury luck that LA has had then they might be winless.
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Hopefully, this is a good sign that the Chargers will go on some kind of run down the stretch once players return from injury. We certainly know the Raiders and Broncos won't be competing for a playoff spot.