Chargers’ First Month Easier Thanks to Raiders, Seahawks…But They Need to Capitalize

Injuries around the NFL have already started to have a notable impact on the Chargers' outlook.

Brock Bowers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Opinions vary on the toughness of the Los Angeles Chargers’ schedule this season, but here’s one thing everyone agrees on right now: 

They can’t afford to mess up the first month. 

That applies most years, sure. But they start against the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders before getting into a brutal stretch before and after a semi-early Week 7 bye. 

The NFL’s season-opening game this week, though, has already given the Chargers some silver linings…and so have their AFC West rival Raiders. 

Chargers’ outlook changes with Seahawks, Raiders injuries

Justin Herbert | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

First, the Raiders. 

In a stunning twist, just before Week 1, news broke that Raiders star tight end Brock Bowers will miss a game or two due to injury. 

That’s Bowers, the guy who dropped 1,194 yards as a rookie in 2024 and 12 touchdowns over 29 games. The guy who, last year, put up 63 yards and two scores on the Chargers in a late-November meeting and, in general, provides a matchup nightmare. 

The news from the opener, on the other hand, pertains to the Seattle Seahawks, who lost starting quarterback Sam Darnold.

A hip injury to the defending champion’s starting quarterback could see him land on injured reserve (or simply not be 100 percent), meaning the Chargers won’t see  him in Week 4 on the road in Seattle, one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. Instead, they would line up against Drew Lock. 

These are critical talking points because the Chargers have undergone a change at defensive coordinator, losing Jesse Minter and replacing him with first-time coordinator Chris O’Leary. He coached the Chargers secondary in the past and wants to continue Minter’s scheme, but easier said than done. 

Missing one of the NFL’s best tight ends in Week 2, then a Super Bowl-starting quarterback in Week 4? Pretty big deal. 

Also big because of a historically tough-looking stretch that starts in Week 3: 

• At Buffalo
• At Seattle
• Vs. Denver
• At Kansas City 
• BYE
• At LA Rams
• Vs. Houston
• At Baltimore

The Chargers could be looking at a lost season by November if they start slow. Beating Arizona in the opener and making sure they beat Las Vegas the following week for a 2-0 start is a big deal. So is one of those brutal-looking matchups against Seattle potentially getting easier. 

Granted, the Chargers don’t usually have things fall in their favor when it comes to injuries. But mid-week before the season kickoff against Arizona was pretty positive for them, all things considered. 

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