J.K. Dobbins rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown, Cameron Dicker made three field goals and the Los Angeles Chargers opened the Jim Harbaugh era with a 22-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders during a defensive tussle Sunday in Inglewood, Calif.
Despite struggling on offense early, the Chargers did plenty on the other side of the ball by forcing three turnovers and recording three sacks. Los Angeles star edge rusher Joey Bosa had a sack and a forced fumble. Khalil Mack added a fumble recovery and 1 1/2 sacks.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was 17 of 26 for 144 yards and a touchdown with 3:40 remaining on a 10-yard pass to Ladd McConkey in his first career NFL game.
After winning a national championship at Michigan last season, Harbaugh made his return to the NFL after going 44-19-1 in four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (2011-14).
New Raiders starting quarterback Gardner Minshew was 25-of-33 passing for 257 yards and one touchdown. New lead running back Zamir White had 44 yards rushing on 13 carries, while Brock Bowers had six receptions for 58 yards.
Dicker gave the Chargers a 3-0 lead on a 53-yard field goal in the first quarter and the Raiders answered on their next drive by going 67 yards in seven plays. Alexander Mattison caught a 31-yard TD pass from Minshew for a 7-3 lead with less than a minute left in the opening quarter.
After a Minshew fumble, the Chargers had the ball at the Raiders’ 12-yard line late in the first half, but went just 5 yards in three plays before Dicker made a 25-yard field goal to cut the deficit to a point.
Dicker gave the Chargers a 9-7 lead with 9:08 remaining in the third quarter with a 24-yard field goal.
Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 49-yard field-goal attempt with 2:02 remaining in the third quarter. The Chargers followed with a six-play, 61-yard drive that ended on a 12-yard TD run from Dobbins with 14:55 remaining for a 16-7 advantage.
Herbert’s late TD pass to McConkey completed an eight-play, 92-yard drive that sealed the victory, as Poona Ford intercepted a pass from Minshew with 1:44 remaining.
–Field Level Media