The Los Angeles Chargers made it two wins in a row after beating the Oakland Raiders, 26-10.
Game Ball
Offense: Austin Ekeler – Ekeler was the spark the team needed in the second quarter and his 44-yard touchdown got the Bolts on a roll throughout the rest of the game. He finished the day rushing for only 15 yards, but the one pass he corralled was the one he scored. In the win, Ekeler became the sixth undrafted running back in NFL history with six-plus touchdown catches in his first two seasons.
Defense: Melvin Ingram – Ingram was all over the field in Sunday's win, making big plays when they mattered most. He had a key sack on third down on the Raiders' opening possession of the game. Then later in the third quarter, he picked off Derek Carr in the end zone. Along with the sack and pick, he finished the game with seven total tackles, two tackles for loss, one QB hit and one pass defensed.
Unsung Hero: Adrian Phillips – A.P. made his presence felt on defense throughout the afternoon. Most notably, he had good coverage on Jared Cook to force an incomplete pass on third down. Five plays later, the Chargers scored a touchdown. Phillips also had numerous stops on second and third downs to either set Oakland up in long yardage situations or force punts.
Stat of the Game:
With his one-yard touchdown in the second quarter, Melvin Gordon moved up to number seven on the franchise's rushing touchdowns list.
Play of the Game:
On 1st-and-10 from the Oakland 44-yard line, Philip Rivers bobbled the snap from shotgun, which forced him to do a 360-degree turn. Like the pro he is, the quarterback maintained his composure and fired left to Austin Ekeler in the flat. The running back did the rest, making would-be tacklers look foolish on the way to a 44-yard catch-and-run touchdown. The score gave the Bolts a 10-3 lead with 4:04 left in the first half.
Turning Point:
Right after the Ekeler touchdown made it a 10-3 game, the Raiders got the ball and starting from their own 25, Derek Carr found Martavis Bryant for a 21-yard gain. However, Jatavis Brown came in to force a fumble on Bryant which Jahleel Addae recovered. Six plays later, Melvin Gordon rushed in for a touchdown and a 17-3 Chargers lead.
It Was Over When:
The Raiders were driving in the third quarter getting down to the Chargers' 1. Derek Carr threw a pass intended for Derek Carrier, however, Melvin Ingram picked it off in the end zone. On the very next play, Philip Rivers lobbed a pass to Tyrell Williams good for 48 and seven plays later, Virgil Green got his first touchdown as a Charger. The Bolts went up 26-3, surmounting a lead too hard for Oakland to overcome.
Bolt Quotebook
"That's a good team win. I thought all three phases were solid. When we don't give teams anything and we make teams go through it, I think we're a tough team to beat." – Head Coach Anthony Lynn
"We aren't happy yet. We have a long way to go. We're just trying to build stepping stones. We are just trying to put wins on top of wins and try to get to our ultimate goal, and that is to win a championship." – DE Melvin Ingram
"It's an energy game and when you have good energy built all around you, that's what it's all about. When (the defense) goes out there and makes a play, we want to go out there and make a play, too. You have to feed off that. That's how we become a great team." – RB Melvin Gordon
Odds and Ends
The Chargers outgained the Raiders 412-289 in total yardage. The Bolts held a 79-41 advantage on the ground and a 333-248 edge through the air.
Keenan Allen led receivers with eight receptions for 90 yards. Melvin Gordon caught all four targets thrown his way for 62 yards.
Along with Ingram, Denzel Perryman also had seven total tackles. The defense also put up two additional sacks courtesy of Darius Philon and Isaac Rochell.
Nick Dzubnar served as today's honorary captain.
Inactives for the Chargers included Travis Benjamin, Kyzir White, Cole Toner, Joe Barksdale, Russell Okung, J.J. Jones and Joey Bosa.
View the best game action shots as the Bolts battle the Oakland Raiders for the annual "Crucial Catch" game supporting Breast Cancer Awareness.
Keenan Allen makes a leaping grab during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Caleb Sturgis kicks a 49-yard field goal during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Melvin Ingram sacks Oakland Raiders' QB Derek Carr during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Melvin Ingram celebrates his sack during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Melvin Gordon runs the ball downfield during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Keenan Allen catches a pass from Philip Rivers and turns to run during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Keenan Allen celebrates a catch during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Derwin James makes a tackle during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Michael Davis and Rayshawn Jenkins celebrate during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Austin Ekeler speeds down the sideline for a touchdown during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Austin Ekeler scores the Bolts' first touchdown of the day during the Chargers' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler celebrate Ekeler's touchdown during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Melvin Ingram tackles Raiders' RB Doug Martin during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Melvin Gordon dives over defenders during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
The Bolts pose for a picture after Melvin Gordon's touchdown during the Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Darius Philon sacks Raiders QB Derek Carr during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Darius Philon celebrates his sack during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Keenan Allen runs downfield during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Keenan Allen points to fans during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Tyrell Williams catches a pass from Philip Rivers during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Tyrell Williams celebrates his catch during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Melvin Ingram and Kyle Emanuel tackle Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Melvin Ingram, Casey Hayward and Isaac Rochell celebrate Ingram's first career interception during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
The team poses for a picture after Melvin Ingram picked off Derek Carr in the endzone during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Virgil Green celebrates scoring a touchdown during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Sean Culkin and Virgil Green celebrate Green's touchdown during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Isaac Rochell sacks Raiders' QB Derek Carr during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Keenan Allen and Desmond King shake hands during the Bolts' Week 5 matchup against the Oakland Raiders at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center.
Fans cheer on the Bolts to victory during Week 5's matchup versus the Oakland Raiders.
Derek Carr and Philip Rivers greet each other postgame after the Bolts defeated the Raiders 26-10 during Week 5.
Derwin James and Melvin Gordon celebrate the Chargers' Week 5 win over the Raiders in the locker room.
Melvin Ingram celebrates the Chargers' Week 5 win over the Raiders in the locker room.
Head Coach Anthony Lynn addresses the team after the Bolts' 26-10 win over the Oakland Raiders in Week 5.
The Chargers huddle up in the locker room postgame after defeating the Oakland Raiders, 26-10, in Week 5.
