The Oakland Raiders take on the San Diego Chargers in the midst of a demoralizing two game losing streak. They'll be looking for a win against their longtime division nemesis in hopes of salvaging the season. The Chargers currently have the number one ranked offense and defense. Sound familiar? It should, those are the exact same conditions the Raiders had entering their Week Four matchup. The difference is this time they'll be playing in San Diego and San Diego apparently has learned to block for the punter.
The Chargers have won four straight games to push their record to 6-5 and surge past the 5-6 Raiders to take second place in the AFC West. The Week Four Raiders' victory snapped a streak of 13 straight losses to the Chargers. This time the Raiders will be hoping to start a streak of their own.
If the Raiders are going to do this, they will have to get Darren McFadden and their running game back on track. The offense has struggled to move the ball since the bye week and the Raiders success starts with their running game. When they do pass, they'll be passing with Jason Campbell. Who regains the starting job after Bruce Gradkowski re-injured his throwing shoulder.
In the last meeting, Philip Rivers and Malcom Floyd torched the Raiders. Rivers ended with 413 passing yards, 213 of which went to Floyd. Since that game, Floyd has struggled with injuries, most recently a hamstring, but he'll likely be ready on Sunday. Charger WR Vincent Jackson, who has missed almost the entire season with a contract dispute and suspension currently has a calf strain and will be unlikely to play on Sunday.
Both passing offenses have also had to deal with the diminished contributions from their TEs, due to Planter Fascia problems. Both Antonio Gates and Zach Miller will likely play on Sunday, but both will likely be less than 100 percent.
If the Raiders secondary is going to do a better job of containing Philip Rivers, they are going to have to do it at less than 100 percent. Chris Johnson (groin) has already mentioned he is unlikely to play and Nnamdi Asomugha had another MRI on his ankle, after he realized he couldn't plant and turn in Sunday's loss to the Dolphins.
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