Chargers' Easton Stick: Solid numbers in lopsided loss
Stick completed 23 of 32 passes for 257 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in the Chargers' 63-21 loss to the Raiders on Thursday night. He also rushed twice for 11 yards and lost two fumbles.
Stick's stat line was highly deceptive when taken in the context of the Chargers' 42-point loss, with the first-time starter piling up a bulk of his numbers when the game was already well out of reach. The North Dakota State product, who's in the top job due to Justin Herbert's season-ending finger injury, did have to play without top target Keenan Allen (heel), and he was able to complete passes to nine different players overall. Stick hit Alex Erickson and Quentin Johnston for late touchdown passes of 13 and six yards, respectively, but the highlight of his night was a 79-yard scoring strike to Joshua Palmer early in the third quarter. However, Stick's one interception was a pick-six, and one of his two fumbles also was returned for a touchdown by John Jenkins on the final play of the third quarter. Despite the utterly forgettable team outcome Thursday, Stick is expected to remain the starting quarterback in a Week 16 Saturday night home matchup against the Bills on Dec. 23.
