Kick-off on the night of Thursday to Friday at 2:15 a.m.
Las Vegas Raiders (5-8) – Los Angeles Chargers (5-8)
With the end of the season approaching, it is sometimes hard to find the stakes in certain matches. This Thursday Night Football is one of them with two teams in great difficulty in recent weeks. In the AFC West, Las Vegas and Los Angeles are far from Kansas City and Denver. The Nevada franchise currently remains on three consecutive losses and even thanked its coach during the season. Opposite, it's not much better with four defeats in the last five games for the Californians. Worse, their starting quarterback, Justin Herbert, was even injured until the end of the season.
Substitute duel
This is also what makes the match less attractive. Both teams present themselves with their pitcher number 2. For Los Angeles, it is therefore an obligation. Hit in the finger, Herbert will no longer be able to play again 2023. Brandon Staley must therefore make do with Easton Stick, fifth round pick in 2019. Last week the quarterback posted a decent stat sheet with 13/24 for 179 yards. Not enough to give supporters too much hope either. This time he will have a (short) week to prepare and we will be able to discover the launcher.
For the Raiders, it's a choice to start the pitcher number 2. For a few games Aidan O'Connell has been preferred to lead this attack. Jimmy Garropolo didn't really give satisfaction at the start of the season and the Raiders wanted to find solutions. Unfortunately, O'Connell cannot impose himself, to the point where the question was asked again this week. Whatever happens, these two franchises are trying to work for the future without really knowing who will be in office next year.
