3 Winners and 5 Losers From Chargers' Week 2 Disaster Against the Raiders

The Los Angeles Chargers took another brutal loss. With every game, there are always some winners and some losers. However, the bad performances overtook the good ones on Sunday.

Omarion Hampton | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Well guys, the Los Angeles Chargers are winless in the first two weeks. It is the first time since 2023 after falling 26-14 to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. The Bolts had opportunities to take control of the game, but costly mistakes and a fourth quarter that completely unraveled allowed the Raiders to pull away.

Another tough loss, and they have a super rough road ahead. There were still a few individual performances worth highlighting. Here are three Chargers winners and five losers from Sunday’s AFC West matchup.

Winner: Oronde Gadsden II

Gadsden came through with one of the Chargers’ most important offensive plays of the afternoon. The rookie tight end caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert early in the third quarter, putting Los Angeles ahead 14-10 at the time.

Gadsden only finished with one reception for 10 yards, but that reception became one of Los Angeles’ two touchdowns and showed that he can be a useful target around the goal line. For a Chargers offense that struggled to maintain consistency, Gadsden made his opportunity count.

Loser: Justin Herbert

Herbert had some strong moments, but the turnovers ultimately made this a difficult performance to overlook. The Chargers quarterback finished with 192 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

His first interception came in the second quarter, while the second arrived with Los Angeles desperately trying to get back into the game late. The Chargers needed Herbert to be at his best in the fourth quarter, but the offense couldn’t produce another touchdown drive.

Herbert was far from the only reason Los Angeles lost, but elite quarterbacks take matters into their own hands and win games like these. 

Winner: Tre’ Harris

Harris gave the Chargers one of their biggest offensive sparks of the game with a spectacular 53-yard reception in the third quarter. It was the longest reception of Harris’ career to that point. 

Harris finished with only one catch, but it was an enormous play in a game where explosive plays were difficult to find. His ability to stretch the field gives the Chargers another potential weapon as they try to get their offense moving.

Loser: Omarion Hampton

Hampton’s overall rushing numbers were productive, but his late fumble was one of the game’s most damaging mistakes. It was the nail in the coffin for sure. 

The running back finished with 94 rushing yards on 23 carries and scored Los Angeles’ first touchdown, so his performance wasn’t without positives. However, the turnover came at a terrible time. The Chargers were already trailing and trying to build a comeback when the fumble handed the Raiders a valuable opportunity.

Las Vegas turned the possession into a touchdown, helping put the game out of reach. Hampton’s production was encouraging, but ball security has to be better in those situations.

Winner: Derwin James Jr.

James continued to provide the type of activity the Chargers expect from their defensive leader. He finished the afternoon with 10 total tackles, giving him one of the defense’s most productive stat lines.

The Chargers defense had plenty of problems overall, but James remained involved throughout the game and helped keep the unit competitive during stretches when the offense was struggling. His production doesn’t erase the defensive issues, but 10 tackles demonstrated that James was consistently around the football.

Loser: Quentin Johnston

Johnston had another limited afternoon in the Chargers’ passing game. He finished with only one reception for seven yards.

With Los Angeles needing production from its receiving corps, Johnston had an opportunity to make a bigger impact. Instead, he was largely absent from the offense.

The Chargers cannot afford to have one of their established receivers contribute so little when the passing game is already struggling to consistently create points.

Loser: Chargers Defense

The Chargers defense couldn’t get enough stops when the game entered its most important stages. Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes, and Las Vegas finished with 308 total yards.

Los Angeles did make some plays, including an interception of Cousins, but the defense ultimately allowed the Raiders to score 16 unanswered points after the Chargers took a 14-10 lead. The biggest problem was what happened after halftime. Once Las Vegas regained the lead, the Chargers couldn’t produce the defensive stop they needed to give Herbert and the offense another realistic chance.

Loser: Chargers Ball Security

Turnovers were ultimately one of the biggest reasons the Chargers couldn’t finish this game.

Los Angeles committed multiple costly mistakes, including Hampton’s fumble and Herbert’s two interceptions. The Chargers also finished the game with a safety after a holding penalty in the end zone, giving Las Vegas two additional points late in the fourth quarter. 

Those mistakes prevented Los Angeles from capitalizing on several opportunities. Against an AFC West opponent, the margin for error is already small. The Chargers gave the Raiders too many chances and paid for it.

Chargers now down 24-14, on the verge of starting the season with losses to the Cardinals and Raiders. Their next four games ...

• at Bills
• at Seahawks
• vs. Broncos
• at Chiefs

It's getting late early for that team.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 20, 2026