6A — BAKER CITY HERALD
SPORTS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020
Herbert, Chargers top Raiders in duel of former Duck QBs
happened. So I got up and started
shaking hands and kind of saw the
LAS VEGAS — Justin Herbert’s game was over.”
brilliant rookie season is now a
The Chargers (5-9) snapped a
record-setting campaign.
nine-game losing streak against
Herbert scored on a 1-yard plunge their AFC West counterparts, and
to give the Los Angeles Chargers a snapped a three-game skid against
30-27 overtime victory over the Las the Raiders. Las Vegas (7-7) lost
Vegas Raiders on Thursday night.
quarterback Derek Carr to a left
“It was pretty crazy,” said Herbert, groin injury in the fi rst quarter. It
who set an NFL rookie record with has lost four of fi ve, all but killing its
his seventh 300-yard game and
playoff chances.
has 27 passing scores on the year,
Moments after Daniel Carlson’s
tying Baker Mayfi eld (2018) for the 23-yard fi eld goal on the Raiders’
most by a rookie in NFL history. “I
fi rst possession put Las Vegas ahead
kind of waited to see the replay and 27-24, Herbert found wideout Jalen
guys didn’t really know what had
Guyton streaking by cornerback
By W.G. Ramirez
Associated Press
Keisean Nixon for a 53-yard recep-
tion to set up the winning score.
Los Angeles improved to 1-2 in
overtime games, while all four of its
games against division foes have
come down to the fi nal play.
Herbert, who targeted nine
receivers and completed at least one
pass with seven, was 22 for 32 with
314 yards and two touchdowns.
“I’ve seen a lot of growth over the
past couple weeks,” Chargers coach
Anthony Lynn said. “He’s doing it
with young receivers on the fi eld
and spreading the ball around.”
With fi ve receptions for 65 yards
and a touchdown, Los Angeles’
Hunter Henry now has a career-
high 60 receptions on the year,
third-highest among tight ends this
season.
The Chargers got revenge from
the fi rst meeting on Nov. 8, when
Herbert’s apparent TD pass to
Donald Parham was overturned by
replay to end the game.
For the Raiders, the storyline
quickly changed from must-win to
stay alive in the playoff hunt, to how
to win with backup Marcus Mariota
seeing his fi rst action as a Raider,
while setting up a showdown of
former University of Oregon quar-
terbacks.
“It was a pretty crazy experience,”
Herbert said. “I grew up watching
Marcus. He was my favorite player.
To see him on the fi eld and play
against him was really cool. It’s
everything I’ve ever wanted.”
Just four days after fi ring defen-
sive coordinator Paul Guenther, plus
missing four starters on defense,
and having their offensive coordi-
nator Greg Olson sidelined after
testing positive for COVID-19, the
Raiders lost Carr when he came up
lame on a third-down scramble near
the goal line in the fi rst quarter.
Carr immediately went to the locker
room and did not return.
Picking the NFL: week 15 Ducks turn back Dons’ rally
OREGON MEN’S BASKETBALL
Overall record: 116-66-1
Buffalo Bills (10-3) vs.
COREY KIRK
Denver Broncos (5-8)
Coming off consecutive wins, the Bills travel
to the Mile High City to take on the Broncos.
Hanging on for dear life to their playoff hopes,
Broncos’ fans vocabulary will once again include and the Bucs will get their ninth win of the
“maybe next year.” The Bills, who have a stellar season, 38-28.
red zone offense, will crush Denver’s playoff
Detroit Lions (5-8) vs.
hopes, 35-17.
Tennessee Titans (9-4)
Carolina Panthers (4-9) vs.
Battling the Indianapolis Colts for the
Green Bay Packers (10-3)
top spot in the AFC South, the Titans are
The Panthers are also on the cusp of playoff
fortunate to get the Lions, and their sketchy
elimination. Although Carolina would benefi t
defense, this week. The Titans offense will
overwhelm that defense and secure their 10th
from having star running back Christian Mc-
win of the year, 31-24.
Caffrey available as he recovers from a thigh
injury, even his contributions wouldn’t overcome
Houston Texans (4-9) vs.
the Packers’ strong offense as they win, 42-24.
Indianapolis Colts (9-4)
San Francisco 49ers (5-8) vs.
I just don’t see how the Colts lose this game.
Dallas Cowboys (4-9)
Their offense continues to shine, and their run
The Cowboys are coming off a big victory
defense is the most underrated component in
against the Bengals, and they’re at home, but
the league. The Colts will keep pace with the
I think their lack of depth is worse than the
Titans in the AFC South race with a 28-14 win.
49ers’. The game will be close but I see Robbie
Philadelphia Eagles (4-8-1) vs.
Gould giving San Francisco the edge with a
Arizona Cardinals (7-6)
fi eld goal, 10-7.
The most interesting narrative going into
Seattle Seahawks (9-4) vs.
this week is the quarterback situation in
Washington Football Team (6-7)
Philadelphia. Rookie Jalen Hurts looked
As with the previous pick, I’m siding with
impressive in the Eagles’ upset over the Saints,
the road team. Behind Russell Wilson, the
leaving former starter Carson Wentz’s future
Seahawks’ aerial offense is scary, and Wash-
uncertain. The Cardinals are back to a winning
ington is going back to Dwayne Haskins at
record after their game against the Giants,
quarterback after being benched earlier this
and I see them being the winners in this game,
year. Seattle is going to overwhelm Washington 31-24.
on both sides of the ball, and will win their 10th
New York Jets (0-13) vs.
game of the year, 27-14.
Los Angeles Rams (9-4)
Chicago Bears (6-7) vs.
The Rams, currently atop the NFC West, get
Minnesota Vikings (6-7)
a stroke of luck this week against the winless
These two NFC North teams are struggling, Jets. The Rams will win 38-7, close to the 40-3
but I really like what the Vikings have to offer,
margin that Seahawks, their rival for divi-
plus they’ve already beaten the Bears this
sional supremacy, had last week against the
season. Chicago can’t rely on Mitchell Trubisky hapless Jets.
at quarterback, and the Vikings will win, albeit
Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) vs.
barely, 24-21.
New Orleans Saints (10-3)
New England Patriots (6-7) vs.
Arguably the most exciting game of the
Miami Dolphins (8-5)
week, this could be a preview of the Super
As the Dolphins seek to rebound from a loss Bowl. With two of the more prolifi c offenses
to the Chiefs, they return home to take on a di- in the league, it will feature a lot of points. I’m
visional opponent in the Patriots. The Dolphins’ going with the Chiefs, which don’t have the
offense is unpredictable, but their defense had a Saints’ injury problems, in a 28-24 game.
really strong showing against the Chiefs’ potent
attack, and the Patriots are too inconsistent. The Cleveland Browns (9-4) vs.
New York Giants (5-8)
Dolphins will win, 21-14.
After a devastating loss to the Ravens on
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-11) vs.
Monday night, the Browns are back on the
Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
road to take on the Giants on Sunday Night
The Ravens are coming off a big morale-
Football. Though the Giants continue to show
boosting win on Monday night against the
promise, I can’t see them handling the Browns’
Browns, and this week’s opponent, the one-win offense. Cleveland will bounce back behind
Jaguars, is much less daunting. For the fi rst
the arm of Baker Mayfi eld, who I see having
time in a month, the Ravens looked good with
a big game against a mediocre secondary. The
Lamar Jackson behind center. I see a similar
Browns will secure their 10th win of the year,
outcome this week, with Baltimore winning
defeating the Giants, 17-10.
31-10.
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-2) vs.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5) vs.
Cincinnati Bengals (2-10-1)
Atlanta Falcons (4-9)
Going into Monday night, the Steelers, after
The Falcons are looking to next season, and
winning their fi rst 11 games, have lost two
Tom Brady and the Bucs offense can’t be taken straight. The Bengals, meanwhile, haven’t won
lightly.
since Nov. 1. The Steelers overwhelmingly are
This game is destined to be high-scoring,
the favorites, as their offense is destined to
but Tampa Bay is just way better equipped
dismantle the Bengals’ defense, 38-14.
EUGENE (AP) — Eugene Omoruyi
scored 19 points, Eric Williams Jr. added 16
and Oregon defeated San Francisco 74-64
on Thursday night.
The Ducks scored the fi rst 11 points of
the second half to take a 52-31 lead. The
Dons scored nine straight to pull within six
with 91 seconds to go but didn’t score again.
San Francisco missed its fi rst 10 shots of
the second half to fall behind. An offensive
rebound for USF and four straight Oregon
turnovers led to the closing rally.
Chris Duarte and Amauri Hardy scored
11 points apiece for Oregon (5-1), which
added the game on Tuesday.
Raavi Jurkatamm led the Dons (5-4)
with a career-high 15 points. Khalil Sha-
bazz added 11 points and Jamaree Bouyea
and Damari Milstead 10 apiece.
Oregon has won fi ve straight after
dropping its opener and was coming off a
Pac-12 opening win at Washington, 74-71.
Williams has scored at least 11 points in
every game for the Ducks, and after scoring
909 points in two seasons at Duquesne, is
10 points from reaching 1,000.
PAC-12 FOOTBALL WRAPS UP SEASON
Beavers to host Arizona State
CORVALLIS (AP) — Arizona State won
an emotional game last week, setting a
record by scoring the most points ever in its
121-year series against Arizona.
In any other year, the annual Territorial
Cup game would be the regular-season
fi nale.
This, in nearly every aspect, is not a typi-
cal year.
Instead of preparing for a bowl game or
the offseason, the Sun Devils have another
game to close out the regular season.
The 70-7 win over Arizona last weekend
was a huge moment for the program, not
to mention Arizona State’s fi rst win of this
pandemic-affected season, but now the Sun
Devils have to refocus for what should be a
chilly Saturday night against Oregon State
in Corvallis. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
and will be televised on ESPN.
Arizona State (1-2) had a wild ride
through the 2020 season, one the Pac-12
decided would be conference-only games
due to the pandemic.
Oregon State (2-4) didn’t have the same
disruptions as the Sun Devils, playing every
game on the schedule so far, but the Bea-
vers have been up and down on the fi eld.
The Beavers opened the season with two
straight losses, won two straight — one
over rival Oregon — and lost their last two
games, including 27-24 last week to Stan-
ford. Oregon State beat Arizona State 35-34
last season in an upset.
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