Week one is here, and only a few teams have more to prove than the Los Angeles Chargers. A new coaching staff, a revamped roster, and a youth movement that has come to L.A. change everything compared to the last time the Bolts faced off against the Las Vegas Raiders. On December 14, 2023, the Chargers came to Vegas and got decimated 63-21. This loss sent ripples throughout the organization, resulting in Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley – the team’s General Manager and Head Coach – being fired the next day.
Without that loss, the Chargers do not have now HC Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz. On Sunday, the Chargers are hungry to prove they are not the same team they were under the old regime. For years, they were considered an afterthought when it came to the NFL, always disappointing when they had hopes of doing something big. They have the opportunity in week one to show that this Chargers team is not the same, and doing it against the rival that has handed them some of their biggest losses in recent memory. However, that will not be as easy as it sounds.
For starters, Vegas will be boasting one of the league’s premier defensive lines on Sunday. Max Crosby – arguably the best defensive player in all of football – looks to eat again against the Chargers’ line. Sunday also marks the Raiders debut of one of the league’s best interior D-Linemen — Christian Wilkins. That duo alone will essentially demand the attention of the entire Chargers line. That is without mentioning 2023 breakout LB Robert Spillane who is looking to further establish himself as a legitimate X-factor in the NFL.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Raiders still have some real weapons. Davante Adams continues to prove that he doesn’t need an elite quarterback to be one of the best receivers in the world. Now, he needs to prove that with Gardner Minshew, the 2024 Pro-Bowler. While Minshew is not a top-ten QB by any means, he has shown that he can lead any team to a decent season if given the room to succeed. Now he has Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Tre Tucker to throw to.
The run game may be the most intriguing part of this Raiders roster. Without Josh Jacobs as the bell cow, the committee seems to be run by former Vikings RB Alexander Mattison and Jacobs’ understudy – Zamir White. The Raiders system helped Jacobs become one of the league’s best RBs, and now the world sees what they can do with guys that aren’t thought of as anything by football fans across the country.
The Chargers run game raises questions of its own. Bringing in former Ravens RBs Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins in the offseason, along with their old OC Greg Roman gives a clear direction to this team’s offensive scheme. The Bolts will look to primarily run the ball and stretch the field out using the arm of superstar QB Justin Herbert. The official RB1 spot is still up for grabs, however, with Greg Roman emphasizing that “whoever has the hot hand” will be the one getting the majority of the reps on any given day. Although, if JK Dobbins can stay healthy, he can undoubtedly re-establish himself as one of the game’s best backs. Rookie Kimani Vidal out of Troy is also a player to watch based on his high ceiling as a three-down back.
Justin Herbert also has things to prove this season, starting with the Raiders matchup. Having questions about postseason success and how he can perform down the stretch, he has the least-established group of pass catchers he’s had in his career. Josh Palmer is now the top receiver, with rookie Ladd McConkey looking to take over at some point in the season. What most are forgetting, however, is that the run game is expected to be the best Herbert has had in his career. With that in mind, defenses will have a harder time defending plays downfield than in recent years against the Chargers. Adding in the fact that Herbert had succeeded at times when Palmer was his WR1, this receiver room should not be the reason for a big downgrade from Herbert.
On the defensive side of the ball, star power is much easier to find. The Chargers arguably have the best pass-rush group in football, with a quartet of quarterbacks’ worst enemies. Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa look to continue their reign as two of the best edge rushers in the league. Tuli Tuipulotu plans to build off of a breakout rookie season starting this week, and Bud Dupree joins this team as a veteran piece that can still come in and sack a QB if needed. Derwin James leads a hungry secondary as he plans to cement himself as the best safety in the world again. New Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter will show off his famed Michigan defenses in L.A. on Sunday and showcase what he can do with this much talent.
Of course, there are some injuries to watch for, even in week one. The Chargers will be without WR DJ Chark Jr, with Corners Asante Samuel Jr and Tarheeb Still listed as questionable. The Raiders will head into battle without DE Malcolm Koonce, IOL Jackson Powers-Johnson, and CB Decamerion Richardson, with LB Tommy Eichenburg’s status still in the air. The Raiders have caught more of an injury bug than the Chargers, although no real difference-makers will be missing in L.A. on Sunday.
