Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen will miss Thursday's game
Los Angeles Chargers star wide receiver Keenan Allen will miss Thursday Night Football's divisional game against the Las Vegas Raiders with a heel injury.
The Chargers also enter Week 15 with quarterback Justin Herbert out for the entire season.
Herbert suffered a broken index finger on his throwing hand during Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos. He underwent season-ending surgery and backup quarterback Easton Stick will take over his starting job.
Herbert's injury drew most of the attention in Week 14, while the injured Allen was overlooked. Allen was examined by training staff in a blue medical tent on the sideline, but he returned to the game. Replays showed no evidence of any specific injury and it is now determined to be a heel issue.
It's unclear if Allen will miss multiple games or if the Chargers will keep Allen out as they quickly turn things around with an appearance on "Thursday Night Football" in just one week.
Allen is having a record-breaking season
Despite a heel injury, Allen finished Week 14 with six catches for 68 yards. He set a new single-season franchise record with 108 catches.
Allen has thrown for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He's one score shy of his career-high eight touchdowns, two as a rookie in 2013 and two in a big season in 2020. Allen leads the NFL in receptions and ranks fourth in receiving yards.
Allen missed six games last year with multiple injuries. Over the past five seasons from 2017 to 2021, he averaged more than 100 catches.
Fantasy football portal ESPN ranks Allen third among all wide receivers this season. Week 15 marks the start of the fantasy football playoffs, and frustrated head coaches must deal with the loss of a top receiver like Allen and a dangerous offensive weapon like Herbert.
Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer will return to the lineup after recovering from a sprained knee. Palmer last played in a game in Week 9.
Rookie wide receiver Quentin Johnston, TCU's first-round pick, has struggled with a few dropped balls this season and has been slow to earn Herbert's trust. The chemistry between Stick and Johnston has developed over the past few weeks after completing multiple practices together as backup players.
On Sunday, Johnston caught three passes from Stick after Herbert left the game. Johnston leads the Chargers with 91 receiving yards, a career high. In limited action this season, Johnston has caught 29 passes for 333 yards and one touchdown.
Betting on Chargers/Raiders
The Raiders (5-8) are -3 favorites when they take on the Chargers (5-8) on Thursday Night Football in Las Vegas. In Week 4, the Chargers defeated the Raiders 24-17 in Los Angeles. As a +7.5 underdog, the Raiders barely closed the gap.
The Chargers are 5-8 ATS this season while the Raiders are 6-6-1 ATS.
Although the Kansas City Chiefs suffered two consecutive losses, they still ranked first in the AFC West with a record of 8 wins and 5 losses. The Denver Broncos (7-6) are one game out of first place and in the midst of playoff contention.
The Chiefs are the favorite to win the AFC West at -1600 odds, while the second-place Broncos (+750) are their closest rivals. The Chargers (+13,000) and Raiders (+25,000) have a good chance to win the division.
Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce has yet to name an official starting quarterback against the Chargers. Rookie Aidan O'Connell has struggled the past few games, but is expected to remain in the lineup for Week 15.
After the Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels on Halloween, Pierce replaced O'Connell with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo went 3-3 as a starter, but Pierce is looking to add variety with a new quarterback.
O'Connell started Week 9 and led the Raiders to an inspiring victory over the New York Giants. O'Connell has a 2-4 record as a starter this season, but the Raiders have lost each of their past three starts. They've averaged just 10 points per game over the past three weeks, including a 3-0 loss against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The Raiders also have veteran backup Brian Hoyer on their roster. But they lost in his only start of the season.
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