Chargers vs. Raiders score: Justin Herbert tosses three TDs as L.A. hands Las Vegas first loss of season

After waiting out a pre-kickoff weather delay, the Chargers stormed past the Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders will not be going undefeated. The Los Angeles Chargers picked up a victory over their division rivals on Monday night, handing the Raiders their first loss of the season, by a final of 28-14.

Justin Herbert gave L.A. a three-score lead heading into halftime with TD passes to Donald Parham, Jared Cook and Austin Ekeler, but the Raiders got themselves back into the game with a dominant third quarter. Derek Carr led two touchdown drives in the period, finding Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller with touchdown passes inside the red zone.

The Raiders had an opportunity to drive for a game-tying score, but Carr took a third-down sack that stalled their momentum, and Daniel Carlson then missed a 52-yard field goal. On the ensuing drive, Ekeler put the Chargers on his back, totaling 24 yards on his three carries and taking the final one for his second score of the night to put his team up by 14 points. The Raiders had another chance to get themselves back into the game, but Derwin James ended it by intercepting a Carr pass intended for Waller.

Here are some takeaways from the Chargers' big win on Monday night, which was also special because it marked the return of some important off-field "Crucial Catch" endeavors from the NFL:

Why the Chargers won

After the weather delay, only they came out looking ready to move the ball, with Justin Herbert completing passes at a high rate and navigating Vegas' defense comfortably. While his pass targets were relatively quiet (just 47 yards from Keenan Allen and Mike Williams combined), he kept his eyes downfield all night and still took the short throws when he needed to. Ekeler was a playmaker in that regard, fielding Herbert's dump-offs and bursting through the Raiders defense to the tune of 100+ total yards and two scores. Brandon Staley's defense was just as impressive, completely stymying Carr to the point Vegas seemed only to be moving laterally until the third quarter. With steady heat up front and mostly tight coverage on the outside, the Chargers maintained firm control of the contest for the majority of the night. James' fourth-quarter pick of Carr sealed the deal with a bang.

Why the Raiders lost

Too little, too late from Carr and a Raiders offense that had apparently gotten too accustomed to winning with second-half heroics. Struggling to hit on anything downfield for the first 30 minutes of game play, with Josh Jacobs inexplicably headlining their passing attack out of the gate, Carr picked it up with oomph after halftime. But the ground game never gained steam, and aside from Waller, no one offered more than a single game-breaking play. The defense, meanwhile, played inspired for stretches, with Cory Littleton, Maxx Crosby and Trevon Moehrig among those stepping up with key stops or pressures. But it had few answers for Ekeler and fell victim to one too many Herbert strikes along the way.

Turning point

Fourth down, with just over nine minutes to play. The Raiders could not cut the Chargers' lead to four points on the previous drive, with Carlson missing a 52-yard field goal try, but they had Los Angeles stalled at midfield in this spot. Staley dialed up a fourth-down pass, however, showing smarts and aggression in exactly the right spot, and Herbert delivered to Cook for 13 yards, pushing the Chargers into Raiders territory and setting up the game-sealing TD from Ekeler.

Play of the game

It didn't win the Raiders the game, but it sure demonstrated Waller's dominance at the tight end position, this touchdown connection that pulled Vegas within 14:

What's next

The Chargers (3-1) will be at home again in Week 5, when they're set to play host to the Browns (3-1), who are fresh off a close win over the Vikings. The Raiders (3-1), meanwhile, will return to Vegas to play host to the Bears (2-2), who just edged the Lions on Sunday.

Crucial Catch

The NFL and American Cancer Society kicked off their 13th straight year as partners this week with "Crucial Catch: Intercept Cancer," a league-wide endeavor to encourage people to catch cancer early. All 32 teams, from now through Week 6, have the option of supporting early detection efforts, and players are permitted to wear cleats and shoelaces representing cancer awareness. New Era and Nike have also teamed up to create official NFL "Crucial Catch" apparel, which can be purchased to raise awareness and bring support to multiple cancer prevention efforts. Get your official "Crucial Catch" gear to get involved right here.

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:49 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Thanks for spending your Monday night with us, folks. We'll be back on Thursday with a live blog of Seahawks vs. Rams. Should be fun!

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:46 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

So, the AFC West is going to have three teams at 3-1, and the Chiefs at 2-2. Unless the Chargers score again (unlikely), all four teams will have a positive point differential.

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:36 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Derwin James had Derek Carr locked up the whole way on that route. Derek Carr's throw didn't really have a chance of getting there. And that pick should end the game.

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:34 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Carr *almost* made another huge throw on the move. Henry Ruggs split the safeties and was wide open behind the defense. That's a big missed opportunity. Raiders got bailed out by a Joey Bosa penalty.

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:33 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

That's a bad play by Bryan Edwards. He just stopped without trying to run through the defensive backs for the first down. 

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:31 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

More re: Ekeler. 

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:28 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

That's what I meant about getting their best playmakers involved again. Ekeler way more involved on this drive, and he made three key runs to put the team up two scores.

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:24 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Cook beats Perryman yet again. This time on a wheel route from the slot. Perryman ALMOST got the pass deflection this time.

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:23 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Wasting that first-down carry on Larry Rountree comes back to haunt the Chargers. Now they're facing a fourth-and-2.

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:19 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Carr looked like he wanted to step up into the pocket there to give Renfrow time to run his double move but the Chargers took it away, so Carr stepped right into the arms of Christian Covington. Nice defensive design.

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:16 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Another deep shot to Ruggs, and this time Carr connects with him. Getting Ruggs matched up on a safety (even Derwin James) on a a deep over route is not fair.

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:15 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Even when the Chargers turned it loose later in the drive, though, the Raiders stepped up defensively. Justin Herbert was facing heat on every down, with everyone from Carl Nassib to Maxx Crosby forcing him to either throw it early or shift around in the pocket. Vegas came to play during this half.

[Oct 4, 2021 at 11:14 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Raiders DL has really brought it in the second half. Crosby and Philon in particular.