Raiders drop opener to Chargers

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Raiders’ defense dictated the season-opener against the Los Angeles Chargers for most of the day but couldn’t maintain the stinginess when it mattered most.

The Chargers scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to defeat the Raiders 22-10 in an AFC West showdown. Los Angeles running back J.K. Dobbins zipped in a 12-yard touchdown rush untouched to start the final frame before teammate Ladd McConkey caught a 10-yard touchdown pass with 3:40 remaining to clinch the victory.

The Chargers ended up posting a decent tally of 318 yards on 51 plays despite being held down by the Raiders’ defensive line for most of the first three quarters. The Raiders gained 296 yards on 59 plays.

Las Vegas led Los Angeles 7-6 at halftime behind a 33-yard touchdown pass from Gardner Minshew to Alexander Mattison, who leaped over cornerback Assante Samuel Jr.

Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker had a pair of field goals in the first half — including one right before halftime off a Minshew fumble — and added a third to cap the home team’s first drive of the third quarter. That put the Chargers up 9-7, a lead they never relinquished.

The Raiders had a chance to take the lead late in the third quarter but kicker Daniel Carlson just missed a 49-yard field goal attempt. Then the wear started to show on the Raiders’ defense as stars Christian Wilkins and Maxx Crosby got less of a push.

The Chargers marched 61 yards on six plays before Dobbins’ score to go up 16-7. Carlson made a 32-yard field goal on the Raiders’ next drive to get the deficit back within a possession.

The Raiders had a chance for a go-ahead drive after forcing a three-and-out, but coach Antonio Pierce made a highly questionable decision to punt on a 4^th-and-1 play from the Chargers’ 43-yard line.

Dobbins broke a 61-yard run a couple plays later, and then McConkey caught a third-down touchdown pass. A brawl ensued in the back of the end zone with Raiders cornerback Jack Jones — and Chargers receiver Joshua Palmer — ejected from the game.

Minshew committed the Raiders’ third turnover, his second, in the final seconds. Las Vegas travels to Baltimore next week.

This is a developing story. Check back to lasvegassun.com for more coverage of the Raiders’ loss later and look below for live updates from throughout the game.

The Raiders are now down two scores with less than a quarter to play.

J.K. Dobbins raced in a 12-yard touchdown to start the fourth quarter, putting the Chargers ahead 16-7. Los Angeles’ scoring drive accounted for 61 yards in just more than two minutes, starting after Las Vegas kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 49-yard field goal.

Dobbins has been a difference-maker with 65 rushing yards on seven carries. The Raiders only have 201 yards of total offense.

They’ll need to find some spark to come back for a victory in the opening game of the year.

 

Chargers kick third field goal

The Chargers have their second lead of the afternoon.

Cameron Dicker made his third field goal to cap a nine-play, 74-yard drive and put the Chargers up 9-7 early in the third quarter. JK Dobbins broke a 46-yard run through a gaping hole in the middle of the line for Los Angeles, but Las Vegas’ defense stiffened from there.

The Chargers gained only one yard on three plays from the 7-yard line, with Maxx Crosby forcing a quick and high throw from Herbert on third down.

Las Vegas had the ball first to start the third quarter but went three-and-out.

Chargers kick into Raiders' lead

Las Vegas averted total disaster, but still made a mistake to give up three points right before halftime.

The Raiders lead the Chargers 7-6 through one half. Los Angeles’ offense has done nothing — with only 83 total yards — but kicker Cameron Dicker just made his second field goal following a Las Vegas turnover.

Raiders quarterback Minshew lost the ball on a pump fake and slight collision with running back Alexander Mattison, and Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack recovered his fumble along the sideline. That set Los Angeles up at Las Vegas’ 12-yard line but they couldn’t capitalize with a touchdown.

The Raiders’ defensive line continues to dominate with Christian Wilkins specifically penetrating every play and racking up four total tackles, only behind teammate Robert Spillane’s five total tackles.

Las Vegas will receive the second-half kickoff.

Alexander Mattison notches touchdown

The Raiders’ offense has found the end zone. The found it in style.

Alexander Mattison made two defenders miss, including leaping over one, on a swing pass to score a 33-yard touchdown and put Las Vegas up 7-3 inside the final minute of the first quarter.

Davante Adams had a pair of third-down receptions from Gardner Minshew to keep the drive alive. Minshew has started a solid 6-for-8 with 79 yards.

Adams is the only player on the team with two receptions, for a total of 30 yards.

Chargers score first

A stuffed Raiders’ fourth-and-inches play has led to the Chargers scoring the game’s first points.

Los Angeles leads Las Vegas 3-0 with 4:27 to play in the third quarter after Cameron Dicker made a 53-yard field goal. The Chargers only gained five yards on the drive, but they were set up in plus field position when a Zamir White run was stuffed behind the line of scrimmage by veteran nose tackle Poona Ford.

Las Vegas’ offensive line has struggled with Los Angeles’ defensive line so far, but it’s been the same on the other side of the ball. Christian Wilkins, Maxx Crosby and Co. on the Raiders’ defensive line have drawn three flags on the Chargers’ offensive line already.

Pregame

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce has said all offseason that his sole focus is about winning now, not building towards the future.

The just-announced inactives list ahead of the first game of the season, at the Los Angeles Chargers, could be seen as a reflection of that philosophy. All six inactive players are rookies — running back Dylan Laube, cornerback Decamerion Richardson, safety Thomas Harper, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, guard Jackson Powers-Johnson and wide receiver Ramel Keyton.

In fairness, three of them are not suiting up for the season opener because of injury. The second-round pick Powers-Johnson missed most of training camp with concussion complications, third-round pick Richardson is dealing with a hamstring issue and fifth-round pick Eichenberg is recovering from a knee injury.

Laube, a sixth-round pick, might be a slight surprise as he was expected to be a special-teams contributor. Harper and Keyton are undrafted free agents.

Raiders at Chargers kicks off at 1:05 on CBS. The betting market has been bullish on the Raiders’ chances this morning, as they’ve nearly dropped to only a 2.5-point underdog after reaching as high as 3.5 over the offseason.

The Chargers are currently a 3-point favorite at Even money with the Raiders coming back at +3 with -120 (i.e. risking $120 to win $100) vigorish.

Stay tuned to lasvegassun.com for updates from throughout the game, and read below for the gameday preview.

A rivalry renews and enters a new era for the Raiders and Chargers to start the season. Both teams are breaking in new coaches, as Antonio Pierce elevates from interim to permanent head for Las Vegas while Jim Harbaugh returns to the NFL with Los Angeles.

For Raiders’ fans, animosity toward the Chargers has traditionally been muted compared with the disdain reserved for fellow AFC West division-mates Kansas City and Denver, but that could be different this year. Harbaugh started his NFL coaching career as the Raiders’ quarterbacks coach in 2002 but showed little interest in the franchise during its coaching search this offseason, instead homing in immediately on the Chargers. Then a few weeks later, the Raiders hired former Chargers general manager Tom Telesco to fill the same position in Las Vegas.

More importantly, these two teams are likely fighting for the same thing in 2024-2025 — second place to the Chiefs in the AFC West and a possible wild-card berth. Kansas City has earned its status as the runaway favorite with eight straight division titles and back-to-back Super Bowls, but Las Vegas and Los Angeles profile as its biggest competition this year while Denver rebuilds with a rookie quarterback (Bo Nix). The Chargers will chase the Chiefs with one of the league’s most talented quarterbacks, Justin Herbert, while the Raiders plot their attack around what's developing into potentially one of the league’s most dangerous defenses.

Favorable matchup: Raiders’ offensive playmakers vs. Chargers’ counterparts

One of Harbaugh and his staff’s first orders of business was to exile the aging skill players Telesco built the Chargers around while he was in charge from 2013-2023. Los Angeles’ top two receivers (Keenan Allen and Mike Williams) and running backs (Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelly) from the past few seasons are gone. What’s left is possibly the NFL’s weakest core of skill players, with Harbaugh hoping a combination of holdover Joshua Palmer, rookie Ladd McConkey and free agent acquisition D.J. Chark provide adequate weapons for Herbert. On the ground, the Chargers will employ a running-back-by-committee approach with Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins. The Raiders' pass-catchers and runners put the Chargers’ to shame. Top receiver Davante Adams remains one of the NFL’s best, while Jakobi Meyers is an above-average No. 2. Rookie Brock Bowers and second-year player Michael Mayer make up the most promising young tight end duo in the league. And running back Zamir White broke out at the end of last season, becoming the first player in franchise history to rush for more than 100 yards in two of his first three starts.

Problematic matchup: Chargers’ run game vs. Raiders’ rush defense

Pierce isn’t shy regarding his biggest — only? — concern about a defense he helped elevate to elite status down the stretch last year. It’s stopping the run. Las Vegas’ starters played the majority of two preseason games, losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings, and surrendered 5.3 yards per rush to a parade of backup running backs. Pierce criticized the performances as not up to the Raiders’ standards and vowed to fix it before the start of the regular season. It’s going to be crucial against the Chargers, who have given every indication that they plan to post one of the highest run rates in the NFL. It’s the style Harbaugh has always preferred and the hiring of longtime confidant Greg Roman as offensive coordinator signaled that he’s not straying from it. The Raiders should have one of the best defensive lines in franchise history, with a pair of $100 million players leading the way in cornerstone edge rusher Maxx Crosby and debuting free agent defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. Both are capable run defenders but rose to the top of the league through their pass-rushing prowess. They’ll need to be as disruptive on the line of scrimmage today as they usually are in the backfield.

Edge rusher Janarius Robinson

Injuries are already taking their toll as edge rusher Malcolm Koonce, who was one of the Raiders’ most valuable players down the stretch of last season, hurt his knee in practice Thursday and will not play against the Chargers. Enter Robinson, who claimed the Raiders’ primary backup edge-rushing spot in training camp over Tyree Wilson, the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The fourth-year veteran out of Florida State who previously played for the Vikings and Eagles was highly disruptive in training camp and flashed with a couple of big plays in the preseason. The Raiders need him to build on that success against the Chargers in order to make the home team think twice before focusing on and double-teaming Crosby and Wilkins all afternoon. Robinson won’t have an easy matchup, as he should primarily line up against left tackle Rashawn Slater, a former All-Pro who’s typically tough to crack in pass protection. But if Robinson can beat Slater once or twice in key situations, he could be the difference in the game.

Big Number: 63

That’s the number of points scored by the Raiders the last time they played the Chargers, a franchise record set Dec. 13 at Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas obliterated Los Angeles 63-21 in the game, which led to the latter firing both Telesco and then-coach Brandon Staley the next morning. A week after getting shut out in a 3-0 loss to the Vikings, the Raiders showed their peak capabilities under Pierce. It was the start of late-season run that ultimately convinced team owner Mark Davis to shed Pierce’s interim tag and hire him full-time. Adams eclipsed 100 receiving yards, Tre Tucker caught two long touchdown passes and the Raiders’ defense chipped in two scores (an interception return by cornerback Jack Jones and a fumble return by nose tackle John Jenkins). Games against the Chargers are rarely that lopsided, as only one of the other 10 most recent meetings between the two teams has been decided by more than a touchdown (a 28-14 Chargers win on Monday Night Football in 2021).

Best Bet (15-3 last season): Davante Adams under 71.5 receiving yards

Adams has destroyed the Chargers since coming to the Raiders, with three 100-yard games in four tries, but his numbers have been much more moderate lining up against Los Angeles’ top cornerback, Assante Samuel Jr. New Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will likely have Samuel shadow Adams to slow his impact. And it might not even matter, as Adams and new Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew have a way to go in developing a rapport. Adams missed time in training camp for the birth of his son and an undisclosed injury, and spoke openly about how having more history and repetitions made him more comfortable with Minshew’s competitor, Aidan O’Connell. Many took that as a sign O’Connell would win the job in an effort to get the most out of Adams, but Minshew outplayed him in training camp. It could all change in a game, especially in the regular season, but Minshew’s best connection in practice has been with Meyers and Bowers.

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or