INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — J.K. Dobbins had some of his biggest games in college against Jim Harbaugh.
On Sunday, Dobbins helped give Harbaugh a victory in his return to the NFL sidelines.
Dobbins rushed for 135 yards on 10 carries, including a 12-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, as the Chargers rallied in the second half for a 22-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
“It’s good. We are the same side now. That's all I can say, and we're going to keep working together,” said Dobbins, who signed a one-year deal with the Chargers during the offseason after beginning his career in Baltimore.
Dobbins' best game at Ohio State came in 2019 against Michigan, when he ran for 211 yards and four touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 56-27 victory over Harbaugh's Wolverines. Dobbins was a second-round pick by the Ravens in 2020 but has struggled with injuries. He played in only one game last year when he tore his Achilles tendon during the second half of Baltimore’s opener against Houston.
Dobbins had the second- and third-longest carries 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 the LA 47-yard line set up Cameron Dicker’s third field goal and put the Bolts up 9-7 with 9:08 remaining in the third quarter.
On the first play of the fourth, Dobbins went 12 yards off right tackle to put the Chargers up 16-7.
Midway through the fourth quarter and with Los Angeles up 16-10, Dobbins had a 61-yard run to the Las Vegas 14. Three plays later, Herbert connected with Ladd McConkey for a 10-yard touchdown to put it out of reach. The 2-point conversion was no good.
The 8-play, 92-yard drive came after Raiders coach Antonio Pierce elected to punt on fourth-and-1 at the Chargers 43 instead of going for it.
“When the game was on the line, we’ve got to fit up the run correctly,” Pierce said. “Guys have got to get off blocks. Second-level players have got to fit up. Hats off to them. They stayed consistent with their game. They didn’t beat themselves.”
Dobbins' day was part of what could be described as a typical Harbaugh-style game. It was a balanced offense (27 run and 27 pass plays) with the defense coming up with three turnovers along with a couple 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. The Chargers converted that into a Dicker field goal.
Among Los Angeles' forced three turnovers was Khalil Mack returning Gardner Minshew’s fumble 22 yards to the Las Vegas 12 late in the first half. Dicker was good from 25 yards to get the Chargers within 7-6 at halftime.
“It was a great performance. To have 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 "complementary football all the way around.”
“This is the first time I felt like we played actual, real complementary football from where the offense was struggling a little bit and we picked them up, and 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 was 17 of 26 for 144 yards and a touchdown as the Chargers avenged a 63-21 loss to the Raiders last December, which resulted in the firings of coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco. That set in motion the eventual hiring of Harbaugh after he led Michigan to a national title.
“It definitely didn't go our way in the first half but to go out in the second half to put together a couple drives and the defense get some turnovers, great team ball,” Herbert said.
The Raiders went up 7-3 late in the first quarter when Alexander Mattison took a screen pass 31 yards for a touchdown.
On first-and-10, Minshew checked down to Mattison, who caught it at the 35, hurdled over Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. and broke through an attempted tackle from linebacker Daiyan Henley near the right sideline at the 27 before scoring his first touchdown with the Raiders.
It was the longest play in the career of the sixth-year running back, who previously was with the Vikings.
“Anytime you have a team play a majority two-high defense, you’re going to have a lot of that,” said Minshew, who was 25 of 33 for 257 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first game for the Raiders. “We have guys that can stretch the field and go get it, so we want to find more ways to go do that.”
Chargers receiver Joshua Palmer and Raiders cornerback Josh Jones were ejected when both were involved in a fight outside the end zone following Los Angeles' failed 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter. Harbaugh ran out onto the field to separate his players from the altercation.
According to the NFL's fines schedule, both players are facing a $39,501 financial penalty for fighting.
Raiders: DE Tyree Wilson suffered a knee injury during the first quarter and did not return.
Raiders: At Baltimore next Sunday.
Chargers: At Carolina next Sunday.
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