One more week to go in the 100th NFL season and here’s a mild surprise:
It was fun to watch the Raiders on Sunday.
Instead of fielding another sloppy team in December, as they’ve often done in the past 15-plus years while playing out the string, the Raiders put on a professional show.
The Chargers were the healthier team. The Raiders won the game, 24-17.
The Raiders, playing with discipline, smarts and toughness, paid back fans who overtook the Carson soccer park. While unlikely to get a playoff berth, they flashed their improvement under second-year coach Jon Gruden and rookie General Manager Mike Mayock.