With NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on hand, the NFL decided to delay the start of Monday night's game between the Raiders and Chargers due to lightning. Instead of kicking things off at 8:15 p.m. ET, the Raiders kicked off to the Chargers at 8:50 p.m. ET.
Here's a rundown of what exactly transpired on Monday night.
- Lighting was seen outside SoFi Stadium moments before Monday night's game was slated to kick off.
- The NFL decided to delay the start of the game to 8:55 p.m. ET just minutes before the game's initial kickoff time.
- About 20 minutes into the delay, the kickoff was moved up to 8:50 p.m. ET.
- While SoFi Stadium is a dome, the stadium's open sides posed a safety risk.
- Fans were asked to exit their seats during the weather delay. Players were asked to leave the field.
- Chargers receiver Keenan Allen told ESPN's Lisa Salters that he and his teammates waited in full uniform in their locker room during the delay.
- The game resumed following the 35-minute delay.
According to the NFL's rule book (Rule 17, Article 4), the commissioner has full authority to determine whether or not a game should be delayed or postponed due to adverse weather conditions.
Once play resumed, the Chargers made up for lost time, as Justin Herbert ended the game's first drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Donald Parham Jr.
