Raiders-Chargers preview: ‘What’s your deal?’ rivalry renewed on MNF
The Raiders (1-0) went out east to play the Patriots in their season opener and returned with an impressive victory. Their task gets a little more difficult in Week 2. The Chargers (1-0) are coming to Allegiant Stadium for “Monday Night Football” after defeating the Chiefs in Brazil on Sept. 5.
The rivalry between the two AFC West foes will also get a little added spice this season. Longtime coaching adversaries Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh will square off for the first time since 2014.
Game information
■ Who: Chargers at Raiders
■ When: 7 p.m. Monday
■ Where: Allegiant Stadium
■ TV: ESPN (Chris Fowler, play-by-play; Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky, analysts)
■ Radio: KRLV-AM (920), KOMP-FM (92.3) (Jason Horowitz, play-by-play; Kirk Morrison, analyst)
■ Line: Chargers -3½, total 46
Series history
The Raiders have lost three of the last four meetings between the two teams, but still own a 69-60-2 edge in the all-time series.
The most important matchup between the two sides came in the AFC title game in 1981. The Raiders advanced to Super Bowl 15 after defeating the Chargers 34-27. The win came in large part thanks to quarterback Jim Plunkett, who completed 14 of his 18 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns.
The Raiders and Chargers also had a crucial meeting at the end of the 2021 regular season. Kicker Daniel Carlson’s 47-yard field goal as time expired in overtime sent the Raiders into the playoffs with a win and ended the Chargers’ postseason hopes.
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Last meeting
Jan. 5, 2025 — Wide receiver Quentin Johnston caught 13 passes for 186 yards and the Chargers won 34-20 in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 346 yards and two touchdowns for Los Angeles, which lost to the Texans the next week in the first round of the playoffs.
Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers had nine catches for 123 yards and a touchdown for the Raiders in coach Antonio Pierce’s final game with the team. Meyers’ performance gave him his first 1,000-yard season.
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Bold predictions
1. Linebacker Devin White will force at least one turnover, building off his successful Raiders debut last week.
2. There will be two kickoff returns of at least 50 yards in the game, one by each team.
3. Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton will eclipse 100 total yards and score his first career touchdown.
Storyline
The Raiders-Chargers rivalry didn’t need more intensity, but Carroll and Harbaugh will likely bring it anyway.
The long-standing battle between the two actually has its own Wikipedia page. And its not short.
The two first crossed paths in the Pac-12, when Carroll was at USC and Harbaugh was at Stanford. Carroll was infamously asked “What’s your deal?” by Harbaugh in a postgame handshake in 2009 after his Trojans lost to the Cardinal.
The two coaches both found themselves in the NFC West soon after. Carroll went to the Seahawks, who he led to victory in Super Bowl 48. The team Seattle beat in the NFC title game to get there was the 49ers, who were coached by Harbaugh.
Now the pair are in the AFC West after going 6-6 in their first 12 meetings against one another. That means the winner of Monday’s game will get bragging rights, at least until they play again in Week 13.
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When the Chargers have the ball
The Chargers’ offense is built around their quarterback. With good reason.
Herbert is one of the most gifted passers in the NFL. He appears poised for his best season yet after shining in his team’s Week 1 win over the Chiefs. What was notable about the game against Kansas City was that offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who is known for his run-heavy approach, pinned Los Angeles’ hopes on Herbert’s right arm. The Chargers threw the ball 34 times and ran just 25 times. It proved to be a good idea.
One reason Roman may have been comfortable airing it out is the weapons Herbert has at his disposal.
Second-year wide receiver Ladd McConkey had 1,149 yards as a rookie. Johnston, a 2023 first-round pick, looks improved after catching five passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs.
The Chargers also brought back old Raiders nemesis Keenan Allen this offseason after he spent last year with the Bears. The 33-year-old had seven catches for 68 yards and a touchdown in Week 1.
Hampton, who Los Angeles selected No. 22 overall in April’s draft, also gives the team a dynamic option out of the backfield.
All those pieces should pose a huge challenge for a Raiders defense that played well against the Patriots.
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When the Raiders have the ball
Quarterback Geno Smith looked as advertised in his Raiders debut.
The 34-year-old threw for 362 yards and made some crucial plays late. He threw an 8-yard pass to tight end Michael Mayer to convert a fourth down in the fourth quarter, then later threw a deep pass to rookie wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. to convert a late third-and-20. Some credit for his performance goes to the Raiders’ protection. They did a good job picking up all the blitzes New England sent their way. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, even though he only ran for 38 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, was excellent as a blocker. The Raiders’ running game still needs to improve, but the offense got off to a promising start.
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Friday’s injury report
■ Chargers: DNP: S Elijah Molden (hamstring), LB Denzel Perryman (ankle). LIMITED: LB Del’Shawn Phillips (toe). FULL: CB Tarheeb Still (calf).
■ Raiders: DNP: TE Brock Bowers (knee), RG Jackson Powers-Johnson (concussion). LIMITED: LB Elandon Roberts (elbow).
The pick
Chargers 31, Raiders 27
Adam Hill Las Vegas Review-Journal
