Chargers running back JK Dobbins (27) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter past Raiders safety Tre’von Moehrig (7).

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Chargers averaged just 2.2 yards per carry in the first half, running the ball nine times against 13 passing attempts. The slow start didn’t deter the Chargers from pressing on with the running game, however, and it paid off with 176 yards on 27 carries that helped tie Justin Herbert’s 144 yards on 17-of-26 passing. It’s the Chargers’ most yards rushing since 233 in a loss to the Miami Dolphins in the 2023 season opener.

“(We’re) not just hitting a rock, but hitting in the passing game, hitting in general,” said running back JK Dobbins, who finished with 135 yards and one touchdown in 10 carries. “We keep fighting, keep believing, and eventually the rock will crack.”

Dobbins delivered the first big blow with a 47-yard run on the fourth play of the Chargers’ first drive of the third quarter. He scored his first touchdown in nearly a year on the first play of the fourth quarter and — after missing all but one of last season’s games with a torn Achilles tendon — Dobbins played a crucial role in the decisive 92-yard touchdown drive that sealed the victory.

Leading by six after the Raiders punted on fourth-and-1 with 7:09 remaining, offensive tackle Rashawn Slater asked Dobbins to carry the team home. The 25-year-old Houston native responded with a 61-yard run on the ensuing play.

“He’s a dog,” Slater said.

After the long absence, Dobbins admitted that his fitness is not yet optimal. He lamented that he was chased by defenders on both long runs. Dobbins was one of several starters who did not play during the pre-season.

“We don’t care about stats, we don’t care about status,” Dobbins said. “We care about winning as a family.”