The Chargers will open Week 2 at home on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1:05 p.m. PT with the Raiders coming to town, and Las Vegas arrives with a few things already working in its favor after a strong season debut.
The Raiders got off to a clean start in Week 1, rolling past the Dolphins 27-13 at Allegiant Stadium under first-time NFL head coach Klint Kubiak, the former Seahawks offensive coordinator. That win came with plenty of offensive firepower and a defense that controlled the game from start to finish.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins made a loud entrance in his regular-season debut for Las Vegas, throwing for 160 yards and three touchdowns. That performance also moved him past Hall of Famer John Elway on the NFL’s all-time career touchdown passing list.
The ground game and passing game both ran through Ashton Jeanty. After dealing with an injury scare in training camp, the running back handled 23 carries for 102 yards and added six catches for 45 yards, including two receiving touchdowns.
If Brock Bowers remains out, that usage could stay heavy. The star tight end missed the opener with a knee injury, and his availability is still unclear.
If he can’t go again, the Raiders may keep leaning on Jeanty out of the backfield and in wide alignments, along with No. 2 tight end Michael Mayer.
Las Vegas also looked sharp on defense. Rob Leonard’s unit ranked first in Success Rate allowed per rush and fourth in overall Expected Points Added per play in Week 1. The Raiders piled up five sacks and 27 pressures against Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis, forced two turnovers, and limited Miami to 2-of-11 on third down.
One more wrinkle for the Chargers: the Raiders have dropped five straight road games against them at SoFi Stadium.
In Other News...
Chargers Suddenly Have A Raiders Problem Beyond Justin Herbert
The Chargers opened at home with a loss to the Cardinals, and the ugly part was how thoroughly the problems spread across the roster. Justin Herbert did not get enough help, but the roughest stretch may have come on special teams, where the kick return unit repeatedly left Los Angeles buried in poor field position and made the offense work from too far back too often.
Now the attention turns quickly to a divisional stretch that already includes the Raiders, and that is where the hidden cost of those special teams issues could show up again. For a team trying to keep pace in a tough early schedule, the margin is thin enough without giving away field position snap after snap, and the Chargers will need a cleaner third phase before the AFC West race starts getting even tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers May Have An O-Line Fix Fans Need To Watch
The Chargers offensive line has already shown why it will stay under a microscope, with the team rotating players at left guard and giving up multiple sacks in a recent game. That kind of instability tends to linger for a contender, especially when it keeps forcing the staff to patch one spot while trying to protect the rest of the front.
One name worth keeping on the radar is Iowas Kade Pieper, whose profile has started to surface as a possible answer for a team that could use more help up front. The fit is still speculative and tied more to traits and need than any real draft certainty, but the idea is simple enough for Chargers fans: if the line remains an issue, this is the sort of prospect who could matter by the 2027 NFL Draft. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Could Catch A Huge Break In Raiders Week 2 Plan
Brock Bowers was back on the practice field for the Raiders this week after having a meniscus trim on Sept. 8, his first session since the procedure, but the return comes with obvious caution attached. Las Vegas is being careful with one of its most important weapons after he sat out the season opener, and the Chargers are paying close attention to every update as Week 2 approaches.
Klint Kubiak still listed Bowers as doubtful for the matchup with Los Angeles, with his final participation status yet to be settled. For a Chargers defense that would rather not see the Raiders tight end working full speed, the early outlook offers a possible break, even if the week still has time to change the picture. [Read more 🡒]