There was like 4 seconds in the play clock when the TO was called. I guess you may be right they run a play there without the TO and just let the clock run out. I think there was less than 40 seconds left. I see that point.
Wonder what the Raiders would've done? Probably called TO and kicked after a 10 yard gain.
I hope the Chargers weren't thinking that. I hope they were thinking stuff then on 3rd and that'll be it. But they got gashed for 10.
Lord knows, it just felt kind of odd and antagonistic at the time by the Chargers, like both teams were just kind of in a fog at that point and seemingly happy to let the clock run out, but the timeout kind of snapped the Raiders out of it.
I'm sure if the Raiders had popped off 10 or so yards they would've kicked either way, I just feel like that would've been less likely without the timeout.
As I mentioned earlier, I don’t think the Raiders were ever going to let time expire, they would’ve just called their own timeout with 2 seconds remaining after a safe 3rd down run, then kicked a 57-yard FG/Hail Mary.
For Staley, a smart reason to call the TO is to prevent that FG/Hail Mary since two TOs (before the 3rd and after the 3rd) would’ve kept 00:30 on the clock, forcing Raiders to punt instead.
the timeout was stupid because it allowed the Raiders to refocus and legitimately try converting the 3rd down instead of just foggily run a safe play up the middle for a yard or two.
Now, Staley says he called the timeout cuz he didn’t like the personnel out there.
Your personnel did a shitty job anyway.