5 things to watch when Raiders play LA Chargers on Sunday

The Raiders have an opportunity to play spoiler Sunday in Los Angeles against the Chargers, who remain in the AFC wild-card hunt.

The Chargers can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Raiders, but need the Ravens to beat the Bengals and the Titans to lose at home to the Jaguars. The Raiders, who were eliminated from playoff contention last week, lost to the Chargers 17-16 at home on Oct. 15.

Los Angeles started the season 0-4 before winning eight out of their last 11 games. If the Chargers (8-7) make it to the postseason, they’ll be the second team in NFL history to get in after starting 0-4. The last team to do that was the 1992 Chargers.

The Raiders (6-9) are expected to have the homefield advantage at the Chargers’ StubHub Center. Los Angeles still has strong ties to the Raiders since the team left in 1994.

Here are five things you need to know about the Los Angeles Chargers, the Raiders’ final opponent of 2017:

1 Philip Rivers’ strong play was a factor in the Chargers’ turnaround. Rivers was playing arguably the best of his career during a streak of victories against the Bills, Cowboys, Browns and Redskins. But Rivers was awful in a blowout loss to the Chiefs in Week 15. The Chargers will need Rivers to step up to avoid an upset against the Raiders, who have played well on defense since John Pagano took over as coordinator.

2 Keenan Allen was Rivers’ top target during the quarterback’s hot streak. The Pro Bowl wideout is fourth in the NFL in receiving yards with 1,260 and sixth in receptions with 93. Allen will go up against Raiders cornerback Sean Smith, who has shut down opposing receivers in the past month. The Chargers lost tight end Hunter Henry to injury last week. Future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates will get the start.

3 The Chargers’ dynamic pass-rushing duo of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram has dominated opposing lines. That could be trouble for the Raiders, who placed standout left tackle Donald Penn on injured-reserved this month. Bosa, who was named to the Pro Bowl, and Ingram have combined for 21.5 sacks.

4 Los Angeles ranks third in the NFL in passing yards allowed (195) and interceptions (17). Casey Hayward is one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, and safety Tre Boston anchors the center of the field. The Chargers’ secondary could have success versus a receiving unit that struggles to create separation.

5 Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is dealing with an injured ankle but said he’ll be ready to play Sunday. Gordon has had an up-and-down season, and hasn’t cracked 100 rushing yards since Oct. 29. For the season, Gordon has rushed for 1,012 yards and eight touchdowns. Backup running back Austin Ekeler is dealing with a hand injury.

Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GManzano24 on Twitter.