SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Chargers overloaded the Raiders’ left side, and quarterback decided to step up from shotgun and reset his protection.
Center Stefen Wisniewski didn’t get the memo. He snapped a ball Derek Carr wasn’t ready for, and possession was lost. Just like that, disaster struck on the opening play.
“It was a miscommunication,” Wisniewski said. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
The mistake was compounded two plays later, when Philip Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Malcom Floyd.
[RECAP: Raiders topped by Chargers, fall to 0-10]
There was plenty of time to make up for the miscue. The Raiders never did. They ultimately lost 13-6, with the margin of defeat established within 53 seconds of kickoff.
The Raiders didn’t allow another touchdown in its best performance of the year, but they weren’t able to recover because the offense couldn’t find the end zone for the second time this season.
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“The defense played its butt off,” Wisniewski said. “If we don’t turn the ball over early, we might not even have been down because of how well the defense played.”
