CHARGERS (1-0) at RAIDERS (1-0)
When: Monday, 7 p.m.
Where: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
TV/Radio: Ch. 7/ESPN; 640 AM/94.3 FM (Spanish)
Line: Chargers by 3
Notable injury designations: Chargers: OUT: S Elijah Molden (hamstring), LB Denzel Perryman (ankle). QUESTIONABLE: LB Del’Shawn Phillips (toe). Raiders: OUT: OL Jackson Powers-Johnson (concussion). QUESTIONABLE: TE Brock Bowers (knee).
What’s at stake: A victory will give one of these AFC West teams a 2-0 record to start the season. The Chargers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in their season-opening game in Brazil and the Raiders took a road victory over the New England Patriots in their first game of the season. The Chargers began and ended the 2024 regular season with victories over the Raiders en route to a 11-6 record in Jim Harbaugh’s first season as their coach. Pete Carroll returned to the NFL to coach the Raiders after taking a one-year break following 14 years with the Seattle Seahawks. Carroll will celebrate his 74th birthday Monday.
Who’s better: The Chargers raised more than a few eyebrows with their victory over the Chiefs on Sept. 5 in Sao Paulo, handling the long trip and Kansas City’s renowned offense and defense with a strong showing on both sides of the ball. The Chiefs’ loss, coming after a third consecutive trip to the Super Bowl and nine consecutive division titles, prompted questions about the possibility of the end of their championship window.
Matchup to watch: Justin Herbert got plenty of time to pick out his targets against the Chiefs and if he gets the same high level of protection against the Raiders, watch out. Las Vegas pass rusher Maxx Crosby is a force to be reckoned with, but since the Chargers reckoned with the force that is the Chiefs’ Chris Jones relatively well, then you might as well expect another big game from Herbert. Last season, Herbert battled foot and ankle injuries during the opening weeks and months and didn’t top 200 yards passing until a victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 5. This season, he’s healthy and has already thrown for more than 300 yards in a game. He threw for 318 yards against Kansas City.
Chargers win if: It’s the same deal as last week. If all goes right in the Chargers’ world, then they have a good chance of defeating the Raiders and improving their record to 2-0. The offense must click on the ground and through the air. The defense must not allow Geno Smith to get time to throw and it must not give up big gains to rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, who was bottled up by the Patriots in his NFL debut, gaining only 38 yards on 19 attempts.
Fantasy sleeper: Wide receiver Quentin Johnston was one of four Chargers receivers to catch passes from Herbert totaling 50 yards or more against the Chiefs. He caught five passes for a team-leading 79 yards plus two touchdowns. While everyone in the known football universe seems to focus on his drops, and there were a couple against Kansas City, Herbert continued to praise Johnston. Herbert has developed a level of faith in Johnston and has no concerns about throwing to him. So, while everyone is also focused on Herbert’s connections with Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey, Johnston continues to raise the level of his play.
Prediction: It would be difficult to imagine the Chargers taking a step back after their victory in Week 1 over the Chiefs. Instead, look for them to build on it in Week 2 against the Raiders. Chargers 28, Raiders 17.