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JK Dobbins runs for 135 yards as Chargers beat Raiders 22-10 in Jim Harbaugh’s debut
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JK Dobbins runs for 135 yards as Chargers beat Raiders 22-10 in Jim Harbaugh’s debut

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — JK Dobbins had some of his most important games in college against Jim Harbaugh.

On Sunday, Dobbins helped Harbaugh win in his return to the NFL sidelines.

Dobbins ran for 135 yards on 10 runs, including a 12-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, while the Chargers caught up in the second half and celebrated a 22-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

“It’s good. We’re the same team now. That’s all I can say, and we’re going to continue to work together,” said Dobbins, who signed a one-year deal with the Chargers in the offseason after starting his career in Baltimore.

Dobbins’ best game at Ohio State University came against Michigan in 2019, when he rushed for 211 yards and four touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ 56-27 victory over Harbaugh’s Wolverines. Dobbins was drafted in the second round by the Ravens in 2020 but has struggled with injuries. He played in just one game last year when he tore his Achilles tendon in the second half of Baltimore’s opener against Houston.

Dobbins had the second-longest and third-longest runs of his career in the second half en route to his fifth 100-yard rushing game in the pros. His 46-yard run up the middle on third-and-1 from LA’s 47-yard line set up Cameron Dicker’s third field goal and gave the Bolts a 9-7 lead with 9:08 left in the third quarter.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Dobbins made a 12-yard pass to the right tackle, giving the Chargers a 16-7 lead.

In the middle of the fourth quarter and with Los Angeles leading 16-10, Dobbins had a 61-yard run to the Las Vegas 14. Three games later, Herbert scored a 10-yard touchdown with Ladd McConkey to put it out of reach. The 2-point conversion was not good.

The 8-play run over 92 yards came after Raiders coach Antonio Pierce opted to punt instead of attempting it on fourth-and-1 at the Chargers’ 43-yard line..

“When the game was on the line, we had to really prepare the run,” Pierce said. “The guys have to get rid of blocks. The second-string players have to prepare. Hats off to them. They kept their game consistent. They didn’t beat themselves.”

Dobbins’ day was part of what could be described as a typical Harbaugh game. The offense was balanced (27 running plays and 27 passing plays), but the defense had three turnovers and a few short yardage stops.

In the first quarter, Poona Ford stopped Zamir White for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at the Raiders’ 40-yard line. The Chargers converted the attempt into a field goal for Dicker.

Los Angeles’ three forced turnovers included Khalil Mack returning Gardner Minshew’s fumble 22 yards to the Las Vegas 12-yard line late in the first half. Dicker was good from 25 yards out to cut the halftime score to 7-6 for the Chargers.

“It was a great performance. The early stops (on defense) were huge,” Harbaugh said. “We had a lot of three-and-outs on offense, but we were at our best when our best was needed the most.”

Safety Derwin James, who is in his seventh season with the Bolts, described it as “supplemental football through and through.”

“That was the first time I felt like we really played complementary football, even though the offense was having some problems and we caught up to them. Then we gave up a play and they came back and gave us a play, they gave us a big first down,” James said.

Justin Herbert completed 17 of 26 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown as the Chargers avenged a 63-21 loss to the Raiders last December that led to the firing of coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco, which ultimately led to the hiring of Harbaugh after he led Michigan to the national title.

“The first half definitely didn’t go the way we wanted, but going out in the second half, launching a few attacks and allowing the defense to lose a few balls was a great team game,” Herbert said.

Mattison Magic

The Raiders took a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter when Alexander Mattison threw a screen pass 31 yards for a touchdown.

On the first and tenth attempt, Minshew checked to Mattison, who caught the ball at the 35. jumped over Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. and broke through a tackle attempt by linebacker Daiyan Henley near the right sideline at 27 before scoring his first touchdown with the Raiders.

It was the longest game in the career of the sixth-year running back, who previously played with the Vikings.

“When a team plays a predominantly two-man defense, that’s going to happen a lot,” said Minshew, who completed 25 of 33 passes for 257 yards, a touchdown and an interception in his first game for the Raiders. “We have guys who can stretch the field and get the ball, so we want to find more opportunities to do that.”

Ejected

Chargers receiver Joshua Palmer and Raiders cornerback Josh Jones were ejected when both involved in a fight outside the end zone after Los Angeles’ failed 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter. Harbaugh ran onto the field to pull his players out of the fray.

According to the NFL’s fine policy, both players face a fine of $39,501 for the fight.

Injuries

Raiders: DE Tyree Wilson suffered a knee injury in the first quarter and did not return.

Next

Raiders: Next Sunday in Baltimore.

Chargers: Next Sunday in Carolina.

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NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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