Were Oakland Raiders Robbed of Game-Winning Chance in San Diego?

The Oakland Raiders came into San Diego with an 0-9 record but played a tough game against the rival Chargers for nearly the full 60 minutes.

The offense did enough to put a pair of field goals on the board. The defense stifled Philip Rivers and the San Diego offense, limiting the Chargers to just 13 points and only a touchdown lead late in the fourth quarter.



With one final chance to win the game, rookie quarterback Derek Carr drove the Raiders from their own 12-yard line to the 41 in the final minute of the contest. A touchdown on the drive would have tied the game with a game-winning extra point to go.

With 11 seconds on the clock, Carr took a shot at the end zone. It fell incomplete, but there appeared to be a couple of seconds remaining on the game clock for one final Hail Mary heave.

However, the clock continued to run after the ball appeared to hit the ground, ending the game and any hope of a Raiders comeback.

According to former Vice President of Officiating Mike Pereira, there should have been two seconds left after the play, but the clock situation was not reviewable. 



Pass plays, even extremely long ones, rarely take a full 11 seconds to unfold.



The chances of Carr pulling off the miracle completion from that distance certainly were not great, but it appears that the clock operator and on-field officials made sure that a second opportunity wouldn't come.

As a result, the Raiders remain winless and the favorite to hold the top pick in next year's draft.

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