7 Things Oakland Raiders Must Do Against San Diego Chargers

Despite a pile of injuries to San Diego's backfield, the Chargers continue to do just enough in the running game to keep defenses honest and open up the field for Philip Rivers and their passing attack. This week, it looks like Branden Oliver is the next man up in San Diego's backfield, and the Raiders must find a way to shut him down and keep yet another team from running all over them.

To say the Raiders' run game has been anemic this season would be a vast understatement. Averaging less than 62 yards a game, it's been nonexistent. Whether they run out of the I, the Wing-T, the Wishbone, or even the Wildcat, the Raiders must establish a ground game to alleviate some of the pressure on Derek Carr and the passing attack. If they can't run, they can't win. It's as simple as that.

Antonio Gates has long been a thorn in the side of the Oakland Raiders. He's created some incredible matchup problems for the Oakland defense, and has been a dominant force in their games. So far this season, he's been one of Rivers' favorite targets, hauling in 21 catches for 275 yards and a team leading 5 touchdowns. The Oakland defense is going to have to minimizing the damage Gates can inflict to have a chance in this game.

To this point, the Raiders have limited Derek Carr mostly to short and intermediate routes. It has made Oakland's offense predictable and has allowed defenders to sit on those shorter routes, which limits yards after the catch that the receivers are able to generate. To stretch the defense, Carr must be allowed to air it out and take some shots downfield. It will allow the receivers to make some plays in space and make the offense more dynamic.

With just four sacks on the season, the Raiders have lacked anything resembling a pass rush. To this point in the season, Philip Rivers has been surgical with the football because he's had the time to do so. To give themselves a chance in this game, the Raiders must find a way through the San Diego line, perhaps through the team's newest center, to get to Rivers. They must hit him early and often and disrupt the Chargers' passing game.

One of the biggest problems the Raiders have had this season is because they have allowed opponents to build double-digit leads against them early on in the game. It's a bad habit that fans can hope the team buried with Tony Sparano's football. Getting behind by big margins early on cuts down the effectiveness of the offense and makes them one-dimensional, allowing defenses to pin their ears back and get after the QB.

This falls squarely on the coaching staff. The Raiders' brain trust has called some terrible games, and their in-game adjustments have been even worse in 2014. To have a shot to win, the Raiders will need to be better and more creative in their play calling. They will also need to adjust to what San Diego is doing on the field far better than they have this season. It will be Sparano's first test as the Raiders' HC, and they need him to pass.