The Raiders backfield has been in flux all season. Zamir White and Alexander Mattison opened up as the one-two punch, but injuries forced Sincere McCormick to garner 61 percent of the snaps in Week 14.
Ameer Abdullah has been third on the depth chart for much of the season, playing the role of situational pass-catching back. With both Mattison and White out in Weeks 12 to 14, Abdullah was thrust into a lead role and played 90% of the snaps in Week 12.
The production on the ground was middling, but he did contribute in the passing game, hauling in two touchdowns and receiving from several targets a game. In Week 17, though, he carried 20 times for 115 yards while catching three of four targets for 32 yards in a 25-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
Unfortunately, he injured his foot with five minutes left in the game. He did not practice all week and was designated as doubtful on Friday. Later in the day, he was officially ruled out.
With Zamir White on injured reserve, Alexander Mattison should get most of the work against a Chargers team that could be resting starters. That said, not every starter can sit, so it will likely be the offensive side that is more affected.
On the season, the Chargers’ run defense was middle-of-the-pack in EPA per carry. These teams met in Week 1, a contest in which White carried 13 times for 44 yards with Mattison rushing five times for 19 yards.
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