The wait is finally over. After 245 days, the Las Vegas Raiders will take to the field once again, hoping to kick their season off with a win in their old home of Los Angeles. Though on paper this is an away game, both Raiders fans, and even Chargers fans know, that SoFi Stadium will be filled with far more silver and black than it will be with Charger blue.
It will be the first game back in the NFL for head coach Jim Harbaugh, as he ends his 10-year NFL hiatus. Because of this, the Chargers promise to be one of the more interesting teams to follow this season. Harbaugh is a coach with an undeniable pedigree, who just led the Michigan Wolverines to the National Championship.
Meanwhile, the Raiders also come into the season with a new head coach to start the season. Antonio Pierce came in as the interim head coach following the dismissal of Josh McDaniels, and the Raiders looked a changed team because of it.
The Raiders had a top-10 defense last season once Antonio Pierce took over, finishing seventh in opponent points per game (19.5). It was quite a feat for newer Raiders fans, who have had to watch a number of dreadful defensive seasons.
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers Game History
The Raiders and the Chargers have a storied rivalry. Las Vegas and the Chargers have met 129 times with the Raiders holding the edge with 69-58-2 record. The last meeting between these two teams was a dominant showing by the Raiders, who won 63-21 in December of last year.
Key Players for the Raiders
One of the biggest moves of the offseason for the Raiders was adding star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a defensive line that already includes DPOY candidate Maxx Crosby.
Last year, Wilkins had the best season of his career. He racked up nine sacks and 65 total tackles. It is not just the statistics that have endeared him to Las Vegas fans, it was his Raiders mentality. It’s something he shares with Pierce, and face of the franchise, Crosby. The thought of adding potentially another Crosby-like player to an already fearsome defensive line is a truly mouth-watering prospect to any Raider fan.
Key Players for the Chargers
The Chargers took a different approach to their division rivals, especially in free agency. Their two key wide receivers, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams left for new pastures. Instead of making a big splash, the Chargers added a few key depth pieces, especially on defense.
Raiders fans will remember one of these additions in particular. Linebacker Denzel Perryman makes his return to the Chargers this year. Perryman started his career with the Chargers, before becoming a Raider in 2021 – and now returning to Los Angeles.
On top of Perryman, the Chargers also added DT Poona Ford. Ford struggled to make an impact in Buffalo last year, frequently being a healthy scratch, but during his time in Seattle he was a consistent run-stuffer, and hardly missed a game. Los Angeles hopes that Ford can play at that level with them this season.
Things to Watch For
Will Justin Herbert be fully healthy? After missing a decent portion late on in training camp, Herbert is expected to take the field. However, it should be interesting to see if the young star is dealing with any discomfort, and in turn, if the Raiders can make the most of it.
It’ll also be interesting to see how Harbaugh’s scheme translate to the modern NFL. The last time he coached in the NFL, he took the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl. So we know that it has worked in the NFL in the past. However, the landscape of the league is a lot different to how it was in 2014. One game won’t determine the entire run Harbaugh has as a head coach, but it will certainly be interesting to see how things have changed.
Another interesting battle to watch is how offensive tackle Joe Alt handles his trial by fire debut against Crosby. The fifth overall pick could not ask for a more challenging welcome to the NFL moment than against “The Condor”, Maxx Crosby. Will Alt be able to slot right in and contain the relentless Crosby, or will Madd Maxx make the most of his opportunities against a rookie right tackle?
