The first half of Thursday Night Football was dominated by the Las Vegas Raiders. It was also a disaster by the Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders lead 42-0 at halftime, with the Chargers turning it over at a very high rate.
Los Angeles turned it over three times in the first half, all in the form of fumbles. How are NFL fans reacting?
NFL Fans React to Chargers’ Disastrous Half
The Chargers had eight drives in the first half, with almost half of them resulting in turnovers. The three fumbles lost were by Joshua Kelley, Easton Stick, and Derius Davis. To make matters worse, all three turnovers were in their own territory.
The Chargers are “chargering” pic.twitter.com/yNQhzLeGSl
— sentitrac (@sentitrac) December 15, 2023
“The Chargers are ‘chargering’,” said one NFL fan on X (formerly known as Twitter). In addition to the three fumbles lost, the Chargers also recorded another fumble, from Gerald Everett, which was recovered by Los Angeles.
“My pop warner football team doesn’t fumble this much in a whole season,” said another fan.
My pop-warner football team doesn’t fumble this much in a whole season🤦♂️
— 𝐆𝐄𝐄𝐙𝐘✎ツ (@YoungPiccasso) December 15, 2023
Prior to Thursday night, the Chargers had 16 fumbles, with seven lost. To put it in perspective, L.A.’s defense has recovered 10 fumbles this season, along with seven interceptions.
In just the first half, Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell passed for 198 yards and four touchdowns.
Las Vegas’ run game, led by Zamir White, Brandon Bolden, and Ameer Abdullah, combined for 78 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries.
On top of everything, the Chargers’ offense also added a turnover on downs before halftime. With just under two minutes to go, Los Angeles failed to convert on a 4th-and-1. The Raiders went on to score, giving them the 42-point lead.
“They should fire him [Brandon Staley] at halftime,” said NFL analyst Richard Sherman.
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The 42-point lead is the most the Raiders have ever led by at halftime. “If this were Pop Warner, the game would’ve ended,” said Al Michaels, one of the game’s announcers.
The Raiders will start the second half with the football, giving them a chance to extend their lead even further. The largest comeback in NFL history came just last season when the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Indianapolis Colts 39-36 in overtime. The Colts led that game 33-0 at halftime.
If the Chargers don’t make an improbable comeback, this will mark their fifth loss in their last six. Their only win came in Week 13 when they took down the New England Patriots 6-0. Their losses have come against the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, and the Denver Broncos.
The Raiders are the same team that was held to zero points in Week 14 when they lost to the Vikings 3-0. In that game, O’Connell passed for 171 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception. Josh Jacobs also rushed for just 34 yards on 13 carries, a mere 2.6 yards per carry.
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