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Week 1 went about as well as possible for the Raiders and was a disaster for the Chargers. Despite the drastic differences between teams in the season opener, Los Angeles is still favored by 6.5 points, according to Bet MGM.
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Here are three concerns for the Raiders entering their second game of the season.
Chargers Run Defense
The Cardinals ran for 116 yards in Week 1 against the Chargers, but it took 34 carries to get there. Both Arizona running backs were held under four yards per carry, and neither had a run over 20 yards.
Ashton Jeanty put up 102 yards on the ground in the season opener, but struggled to put the game away. Jeanty ran for just four yards on eight carries in the fourth quarter, when Arizona could fully commit to stopping the run.
Kirk Cousins completed more passes to the Dolphins than his own teammates when throwing the ball more than 10 yards down the field. If he can’t stretch the defense, the Chargers will be able to load the box to stop Jeanty and Mike Washington.
Ladd McConkey
The Chargers may be without their top wideout on Sunday, as McConkey deals with a rib injury. But if he is able to go, he could be a problem for the Raiders.
Las Vegas struggled to contain the Dolphins’ best receiver, as Caleb Douglas put up 94 yards on five catches. The rookie did it by carving up the Raiders’ secondary. Douglas averaged 5.3 yards of separation, the highest mark in the NFL in Week 1, according to Next Gen Stats.
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The Raiders are also dealing with an injury, as cornerback Darien Porter left Sunday’s game with a foot injury. That pushed rookie Hezekiah Masses into action in the fourth quarter.
Porter didn’t practice on Wednesday. The Raiders could be trying to stop Los Angeles’ passing attack with a rookie making his first start at corner.
Snapping a Losing Streak
The Raiders embarrassed the Chargers with a 63-21 win in December of 2023. The lopsided loss led the Chargers to fire their head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco the next day.
The Raiders inexplicably hired Telesco to be their general manager one month later.
But since that beatdown, the Raiders have not beaten the Chargers. It totals four straight losses, all by multiple possessions. The Raiders also have a five-game losing streak in Los Angeles against the Chargers. The last time the Raiders beat the Chargers on the road was in 2020.
Last year was a similar start to 2026. The Raiders won their first game of the season to start 1-0 and then took on the Chargers in Week 2. Last season, Los Angeles won 20-9, as the Raiders offense had three turnovers.
Read more Matt Verderame’s Notes: Five On-Field Storylines That Are Key in Week 2
The Raiders will look to break the recent trend of Charger domination.
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This story was originally published September 17, 2026 at 3:00 AM.