2020 Long Island EFL WEEK#6 Los Angeles Chargers (4-1) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (2-3)

[Long island EFL]

COACH ED VIGGS (12-8)  COACH KEVIN MALONEY (8-11) 

THE COUNTDOWN Week#6: is a beast of a week! The Long Island Electric Football League is winding down with lots of division rivalries that will have many teams finding a plan for 2021, and only the best coaches will remain in the hunt for the playoffs. The division races are so close that it is still too early to pick the playoff teams, but one team who we will see in the post season for the second year in a row is the only undefeated team in the league, the Green Bay Packers (5-0). The excitement is mounting for LA Chargers Coach Viggs, whose Chargers have been very hot lately. Los Angeles has won four straight games to hefty competition in Kansas City, Carolina, Tampa Bay, and last week they beat Buffalo 21-17, in a rematch of their AFC Divisional Game. LaDanian "LT" Tomlinson won't be easy to slow down. Tomlinson has 35 carries with 475 yards and 8 touchdowns rushing, and 49 carries for 1189 all-purpose yards with 9 total touchdowns! This data tells us how good LT is against the competition as he continues to consistently be one of the best back's in the game, which he would be in any league. He was the AFC All-Purpose Leader in 2019 with 1779 yards, and this season, he is second, only to Denver's Terrell Davis!

The Raiders have been playing terrific in the past few weeks and they won the Super Bowl in our first seven game season format in 2008! This 2020 season has been a huge challenge with the fierce competition. They lost their home opener to Carolina 14-7, then they beat New Orleans 10-3, lost to New England 27-21 in OT, lost to Buffalo 17-14 at home, and before this game they beat Atlanta at Atlanta last week in a stunner, 24-21! Las Vegas tight end, Dave Casper is ranked #5 in the AFC in All-Purpose yards, and he's been the leader again for Las Vegas, with 18 carries for 965-yards, with five touchdowns! The Raiders must find their purpose today. If they win this game, they have a great shot at making the playoffs for the second year in a row. 

PLAY BY PLAY Los Angeles Chargers (4-1) vs Las Vegas Raiders (2-3)

Las Vegas, Nevada. October 12, 2020. On the opening kickoff Raiders return-man Dave Casper, who has really upped his game in the last few weeks, returned the ball 70-yards on the opening kickoff! The Raiders get a great start at the Chargers 30-yard line!

On first down, Las Vegas got bullied back 11-yards for a huge opening drive loss. The Chargers sure did their homework! That  relentless charging ahead with this All-Pro defensive line that the Chargers have is impressive as they head into the postseason. If they win this game, they clinch a playoff spot at (5-1), with one game remaining in the regular season! Now is the time for a team to get strong and work out any of the kinks before the playoffs. This Los Angeles team has done this high-octane play three straight seasons as they systematically hone in on their offensive plays. Coach Viggs has this team well trained! Las Vegas running back, Bo Jackson gets pushed back another 11-yards, 22-yards shy of a first down back to their own 48-yard line, and that's going to force a pass play on the Raiders, but on third down, the Chargers defense came up big as Marv Hubbard took the ball 12 yards, ten yards short of a Raider first down. The Raiders are in trouble as they were forced to kick the Field-Goal by a fierce Chargers defense from 42 yards away! The ball went right through the uprights to give the Raiders the lead 3-0!

LaDainian Tomlinson took the ball back for LA. Tomlinson is having another outstanding season for the Chargers. Once the Chargers took Casper out of making a play on that last drive, it almost left them no hope for a first down. You can bet that the Chargers are playing playoff-style football right now, having no mercy at all for any team in the league. Tomlinson returned the ball 50-yards with 8:07 left to go in the half! On first down LT exploded, carrying the ball 40-yards to the ball to the Las Vegas 10 yard line.  The Blue-Collar Chargers, made quick work of the Raiders defensive line! And on the very next play, the reliable Tomlinson found himself in the end zone for a quick 10-yard touchdown as Los Angeles takes the lead 7-3, with 5:28 left to go in the first half!

 

The Raiders, when they played in Oakland was such an intense atmosphere with knowledgeable football fans. This new set of circumstances in Vegas is totally different, as Dave Casper gets set to run his second kick return back, returning the kick 57-yards. Casper has been on fire in the last two games. The Raiders are not going to waste any time running the football. Coach Maloney's Raiders need to strike and get ahead here and play the clock game. That's two plays that Casper has given the Las Vegas offensive line an opportunity within short distance of the end-zone, but they could only muster up three points. On the first play from scrimmage, the Raiders faked the pass and Bo Jackson delivered a one yard gain on the run, brought down by LA defensive lineman, Louie Kelcher. The Raiders tried to get something going in the ground game, but Los Angeles has played outstanding on defense this season. The Chargers made it to the LIEFL-Super Bowl two seasons ago where they lost to the defending Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams 31-28, in OT. It will be amazing if it were a rematch between the two teams as the Chargers look for their first Super Bowl victory, but the Rams will be looking for their third in a row if that ever happens!

 

The Raiders lost 12 yards on the second down play, and it forces a third down passing situation. We certainly didn't think that the Raiders would struggle this much in the running game, but again,  the Chargers defense looks fantastic as the first half comes to a close!

In the first play of the second half, Las Vegas quarterback David Carr, could not complete the pass to a wide open Tim Brown, who had great coverage at 14:22 left to go in the game, forcing the Raiders to make a huge decision. And Las Vegas decided to go for it on fourth down, but then changed their decision, looking for a 59-yard field goal as the kick sways left of the upright and the ball is turned over to the Chargers at the 41-yard line! LT was going to make quick work of this opportunity as the Los Angeles defense came up huge for the second time in the game! We're quite sure you're not going to see any Mercy from the Chargers, who have a whole different agenda, as Coach Maloney might be on the verge of trading this team to Coach Brannigan. It's been the talk of the league because for years Brannigan has wanted to own the Raiders. We don't think Maloney will give up on a season, but it looks like the Raiders are in dire straits at the moment

as LT picked up two yards on first down as Howie Long made the stop with the clock ticking away at 12:20 remaining in the game as Tomlinson found an open hole into the end zone from 38-yards away for his second score of the game 14-3, Los Angeles Chargers!

Unreal!

On the next kickoff for Casper took it back 57-yards giving the Raiders great field position once again. Casper would be a star in any league and his consistency since 2008 has been incredible. And with 9:04 left to go in the game, Las Vegas needs a score here. The Chargers are relentless, and just as we said that, Bo Jackson blasted through the left side for a 48-yard touchdown into the end zone to put the game at 14-10, with The Chargers in the lead, and the Raiders finishing strong! Beautiful run by Jackson with 7:44 left to go in the game!

 

The Raiders have really struggled in this game. They missed the field goal, missed two third down conversion opportunities, and have played with their backs against the wall the entire game. The Los Angeles Chargers will have the chance to clinch a playoff berth today, with 6:33 left in the game. That last play was the play that the Raiders needed the entire game!

 

On the kickoff, Tomlinson returned the ball 38-yards, setting up a first down for the Chargers. On first down, Tomlinson picked up three yards. On second, down he picked up another 3 yards, and then on third down Tomlinson ran for the first down to the Raiders 49-yard line with 1:44 left in the game  as Coach Viggs hunt for another touchdown falls just short with seconds to go in the game.

 

And on the last play the game Lance Alsworth ran for the first down to the Raider 39-yard line as the Chargers (5-1), clinch a playoff birth, winning the game 14-10, knocking the Raiders (2-4), out of the playoffs! The Raiders need help at linebacker for next year and that may be the last we see of Coach Maloney with the Raiders! The Chargers go to (5-1), winning their second game on the road. Los Angeles will head to Kansas City (1-4) to complete the regular season! Tomlinson had  7 carries for 103 yard rushing, with two touchdowns for Los Angeles, and Casper had 3 carries for 181 yards!

 

 

 

 

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