5 things you need to know about Chargers at Raiders in Week 2

It was a pretty wild start for the AFC West last week. The Kansas City Chiefs have won nine consecutive division titles dating back to 2016. They were the only team in the division not to win their first game this season. The Los Angeles Chargers snapped a seven-game losing streak to Andy Reid’s club last Friday night in Brazil, 27-21.

Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders once again have a new head coach. The Silver and Black traveled to Foxborough and handed the New England Raiders a 20-13 setback. Now these longtime rivals are both in position to open 2-0 as Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll renew acquaintances.

History

At one time, both the Chargers and the Raiders have called Los Angeles home. For the Bolts, it was their inaugural season in the AFL in 1960. They moved to San Diego in 1961, then back to Los Angeles in 2017. For the Silver and Black, these were the Oakland Raiders from 1960-81. They relocated to the City of Angels in ’82, and won a Super Bowl as the Los Angeles Raiders in 1983. Al Davis returned the club to Oakland in 1995, but the franchise has called Sin City home since 2020.

All told, the Raiders own a 69-60-2 overall lifetime lead in the series standings dating back to 1960. That includes a 34-27 win in the 1980 AFC title game at San Diego. Last season, the Bolts took two in this rivalry for the first time since 2018. They opened 2024 with a 22-10 victory at SoFi Stadium, and closed the season with a 34-20 win at Las Vegas.

What’s in a Number(s)?

Chargers: In last week’s 27–21 win over the Chiefs in Brazil, Chargers’ quarterback Justin Herbert had a big day in numerous aspects. He threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns. And it should have been no surprise that he was the team’s second-leading rusher in the victory, totaling 32 yards on seven attempts. A year ago, he set career highs in carries (69) and rushing yardage (306), reaching the end zone twice.

Raiders: There were two teams that finished 0-6 vs. their divisional rivals a season ago. That would be the New York Giants and Raiders. Las Vegas was outscored a combined 165-104 in those half-dozen setbacks, and Las Vegas was limited to 20 points or less in each of those contests. Here’s an early chance to end the skid against a club that handled them in Week 1 (22-10) at SoFi Stadium and Week 18 (34-20) at Las Vegas.

Keep an Eye On…

Chargers: Star pass-rusher Khalil Mack has faced the team that drafted him fifth overall in the 2014 NFL draft a total of eight times, six of those as a member of the Chargers since 2022. He’s racked up an impressive 10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. It’s worth noting that all of those sacks came in Mack’s first meetings of the season with the Raiders—six of those in a Week 4 win in 2023.

Raiders: Defensive end Malcolm Koonce enjoyed a solid afternoon in the seven-point road win over the Patriots. He finished with three tackles, had one of the Raiders’ four sacks, and forced a fumble. Los Angeles did give up three sacks to the Chiefs last week, while Carroll’s defense got off to a decent start last Sunday. Koonce racked up a career-best eight sacks in 2023, then missed all of ’24 with a knee injury.

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