Chargers dominate on defense to open Jim Harbaugh era with a win over Raiders
Jim Harbaugh made a winning first impression in his Chargers’ coaching debut as the team rode a stifling defense to a 22-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
Losers of eight of their last nine games, the Chargers ushered in their new era with a dominant defense that allowed only one touchdown and forced three takeaways. Running back J.K. Dobbins came alive in the second half with 131 of his 135 rushing yards after halftime as the Chargers (1-0) got payback for an embarrassing 42-point loss last December.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw the game-sealing touchdown to rookie receiver Ladd McConkey with 3:40 remaining. Herbert, returning from a broken finger that sidelined him for the end of last season, finished with 144 yards on 17 of 26 passing.
Chargers force a turnover and close out win
The Raiders started at their 30 after the touchback.
Gardner Minshew passed to Jakobi Meyers for 19 yards and to Brock Bowers for eight yards. Minshew went back to Bowers for three yards and then found Alexander Mattison for three yards. His next pass on second and seven at the Chargers’ 37 was incomplete.
The teams then took the two-minute warning break.
On third and seven, Minshew threw a pass to the end zone that the Raiders nearly caught. The Chargers were called offside, giving the Raiders five yards and repeating the down.
Minshew looked to pass off to the right to Mattison under pressure, but Khalil Mack tipped the ball and lineman Poona Ford intercepted it.
The Chargers then ran out the clock to secure the win during coach Jim Harbaugh’s debut game leading the team.
Chargers 22, Raiders 10, end of fourth quarter
Chargers score a touchdown and two players ejected after skirmish
The Chargers started at their seven-yard line.
Gus Edwards ran for three yards. Justin Herbert then passed to Ladd McConkey for five yards. On third and two, J.K. Dobbins ran for two yards and the first down.
The Chargers called timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty.
Dobbins ran for seven yards. On the next play, Dobbins ran toward the pile and then bounced to the left and up the field for a 61-yard gain.
On first down at the Raiders’ 14, the Raiders called time out with 3:57 remaining.
Gus Edwards ran for three yards to the Raiders’ 11.
The Raiders then called timeout with 3:51 remaining.
Herbert passed to McConkey, who dodged a tackle and scored a 10-yard touchdown.
The Chargers went for a two-point conversion and the Raiders easily stopped Edwards.
After the play, a shoving match ensued outside the end zone and there were offsetting penalties on both teams. The sequence was reviewed by officials in New York.
Joshua Palmer and Jack Jones were ejected after the review.
Chargers 22, Raiders 10, 3:40 left in the fourth quarter
Chargers’ defense gets another stop
The Raiders started on their 48-yard line.
Zamir White ran for two yards. Gardner Minshew was under pressure when he passed to White for one yard.
On third and seven, Minshew passed to Alexander Mattison for six yards.
On fourth and one, the Raiders punted and the Chargers took a fair catch at the seven-yard line.
Chargers 16, Raiders 10, 7:15 left in the fourth quarter
Chargers go three-and-out
The Chargers’ offensive spark didn’t last.
They started at their 30 after a touchback.
Justin Herbert’s first pass was incomplete. He then passed to Gus Edwards for two yards. Herbert’s next pass to Quentin Johnston was incomplete.
The Chargers punted and Tre Tucker returned it 21 yards to the Raiders’ 48-yard line.
Chargers 16, Raiders 10, 9:40 left in the fourth quarter
Raiders hit a field goal to trim Chargers’ lead
The Raiders started on their 30-yard line after the touchback.
Gardner Minshew passed to Davante Adams for four yards and Brock Bowers for 11. His next pass was incomplete.
Minshew then connected with Jakobi Meyers for 33 yards.
Alexander Mattison ran for four yards and Minshew was sacked for a four-yard loss. On third and 10 at the Chargers’ 23, Minshew’s pass to DJ Turner for nine yards.
The Raiders’ Daniel Carlson hit a 32-yard field goal.
Chargers 16, Raiders 10, 10:30 left in the fourth quarter
Chargers score their first touchdown
The Chargers opened the third quarter facing first down at the Raiders’ 12-yard line.
J.K. Dobbins followed his right tackle and ran up the middle for a 12-yard touchdown. Cameron Dicker hit the extra point.
Chargers 16, Raiders 7, 14:55 left in the fourth quarter
Chargers string together best drive as third quarter ends
The Chargers mounted their best offensive drive at the end of the third quarter.
They took over at their 39-yard line.
Justin Herbert passed to Hayden Hurst for 27 yards. His next pass was incomplete.
On second-and-10 at the Raiders 34, Gus Edwards ran for one yard.
Herbert passed to Joshua Palmer along the right sideline for 11 yards and the first down.
Edwards then ran 10 for as time expired in the third quarter.
Chargers 9, Raiders 7, end of the third quarter
Raiders miss long field goal
The Raiders started at their 20.
Zamir White ran for eight yards. Denzel Perryman dropped him for no gain on his next carry. On third-and-two, Gardner Minshew passed to Alexander Mattison for three yards, exploiting soft coverage.
White broke a tackle on the next play for 12 yards.
Gardner Minshew found Devante Adams across the middle for 23 yards.
On first down at the Chargers’ 34, White ran for no gain. Minshew then kept the ball for a three-yard gain.
On third-and-seven, Minshew was flushed out of the pocket and tossed the ball out of bounds.
Daniel Carlson missed a 49-yard field goal wide right.
Chargers 9, Raiders 7, 2:06 left in the third quarter
Chargers narrowly avoid interception, punt
The Chargers started at their 45 after the turnover, but the offense could not do anything with it.
Derius Davis ran for three yards. Justin Herbert passed to J.K. Dobbins for three yards.
Officials reviewed Herbert’s next pass to determine whether it was incomplete or narrowly intercepted by the Raiders. After a review, it was ruled an incomplete pass.
The Chargers punted out of the end zone.
Chargers 9, Raiders 7, 6:56 left in the third quarter
Chargers’ defense forces a turnover
The Raiders started at their 30 after the touchback.
Gardner Minshew passed to Davante Adams for four yards and the Chargers’ Ja’Sir Taylor was called for a late hit, giving the Raiders 15 yards.
Zamir White ran for 16 yards, but the Raiders for called for holding and lost 10 yards.
On first-and-14 at the Raiders 45, White fumbled and the ball is recovered by Taylor at the Chargers’ 45.
Chargers 9, Raiders 7, 8:25 left in the third quarter
Chargers take lead on Dicker field goal
The Chargers started at their 20-yard line after a touchback.
After J.K. Dobbins ran for two yards, Justin Herbert passed to Quintin Johnston for 16 yards. He then passed to Ladd McConkey for nine yards. Dobbins ran for no gain.
On third-and-1 at the Chargers’ 47, Dobbins shot up the middle for a 46-yard gain.
But the Chargers struggled in the red zone.
Dobbins ran for one yard and Herbert tossed two incomplete passes before Cameron Dicker hit a 24-yard field goal.
Chargers 9, Raiders 7, 9:08 left in the third quarter
Raiders go three-and-out to open third quarter
The Raiders started at their 30-yard line after a touchback.
Gardner Minshew passed to Brock Bowers for four yards, Zamir White ran for three yards and Minshew scrambled for one yard. The Raiders punted out of the end zone.
Raiders 7, Chargers 6, 12:53 left in the third quarter
Raiders run out the second quarter clock
The Raiders started at their 30-yard line with 26 seconds left.
Alexander Mattison ran for four yards and the Raiders left the second quarter clock run out.
Raiders 7, Chargers 6, end of second quarter
Chargers force a turnover and earn a field goal
The Raiders started at their 34.
Zamir White ran for four yards before the two-minute warning. Gardner Minshew tossed an incomplete pass before hitting Tre Tucker for 14 yards.
Minshew appeared to fumble for a loss of six yards. The loose ball was bobbled and eventually recovered by Khalil Mack at the 34 and run back 12 yards to the Raiders’ 22.
Gus Edwards ran for one yard. Justin Herbert’s pass on target sailed through Joshua Palmer’s hands.
On third-and-nine with 38 seconds left, Herbet passed to Palmer for a four-yard gain.
Cameron Dicker hit a 25-yard field goal to trim the Raiders’ lead.
Raiders 7, Chargers 6, 26 seconds left in the second quarter
Chargers go three-and-out
The Chargers started at their 11-yard line.
Justin Herbert passed to Derius Davis for six yards, then Gus Edwards ran for no gain. Herbert passed to J.K. Dobbins under pressure for no gain and the team was forced to quickly punt.
The Riaders returned it seven yards to their 34.
Raiders 7, Chargers 3, 2:18 left in the second quarter
Chargers rack up sacks
The Raiders start at their 20-yard line.
Zamir White ran for two yards. Gardner Minshew passed to Brock Bowers for six yards. On third-and-two, Minshew passed to Michael Mayer for three yards and a first down. Derwin James tried to punch out the ball, but could not shake it loose.
Minshew passed to Mayer for 26 yards. Minshew’s next pass was incomplete. Minshew seemed to have good protection, but the pocket collasped. Morgan Fox and Khalil Mack combined for a sack and loss of 12 yards.
On third-and-22 at the Raiders’ 45, Joey Bosa sacked Minshew for a six-yard loss.
The Raiders punted and the Chargers returned it to the 11-yard line.
Raiders 7, Chargers 3, 4:38 left in the second quarter
Another penalty helps Raiders break up Chargers’ drive
The Chargers started at their 31-yard line.
Justin Herbert passed under pressure to Ladd McConkey for 11 yards.
Gus Edwards was then ran into an offensive lineman and took a one-yard loss.
Herbert passed along the ride sideline to J.K. Dobbins for one yard.
On third-and-10 at the Chargers’ 41, the Chargers were of course called for false start. It’s the team’s fifth penalty today, including four pre-snap flags on the offense.
On third-and-15, Herbert looked down field, rolled out and ran out of bounds after an eight-yard gain.
The Chargers punted out of the end zone.
Raiders 7, Chargers 3, 8:58 left in the second quarter
Joey Bosa gets big stop for the Chargers
The Raiders started on their nine-yard line.
Alexander Mattison ran for eight yards. The Chargers pounced on Gardner Minshew’s next short pass and dropped Michael Mayer for a loss of one.
On third-and-three, Minshew scrambled and Joey Bosa stopped him after a one-yard gain to end the drive.
The Raiders punted and the Chargers took a fair catch at their 31.
Raiders 7, Chargers 3, 12:13 left in the second quarter
Chargers punt early in second quarter
The Chargers opened the second quarter facing third-and-five at their 35-yard line.
Justin Herbert passed to Ladd McConkey, who gained four yards on the play.
The Chargers punted and the Raiders took a fair catch at their nine-yard line.
Raiders 7, Chargers 3, 14:22 left in the second quarter
Chargers driving at end of first quarter
After a touchback, the Chargers started at their 30-yard line.
Another drive, another false start for the Chargers.
On first-and-15, Justin Herbert pass to Quinten Johnston for nine yards. JK Dobbins then ran for one yard and time expired in the first quarter.
The Chargers have to hope the second quarter features fewer penalties.
Raiders 7, Chargers 3, end of first quarter
Raiders answer with a touchdown
The Raiders started at their 36.
After a two-yard Alexander Mattison run, Gardner Minshew passed for 19 yards. Minshew’s next pass was incomplete and Mattison was limited to a one-yard gain on his next run. On third-and-nine, Minshew passed to Davante Adams for 11 yards. Minshew closed the drive by hitting Mattison for a 31-yard touchdown pass. The Raiders hit the extra point.
Raiders 7, Chargers 3, 45 seconds left in the first quarter
Cameron Dicker gives Chargers the lead
The Chargers still have penalty headaches, but they turned the defense’s fourth-down stop into points.
They started at the Raiders’ 40 after the fourth-down stop.
Gus Edwards ran for two yards. Edwards then ran for five yards, but the Chargers were called for holding.
On second-and-18, Justin Herbert’s pass was incomplete.
Herbert then passed to Quentin Johnston for 13 yards, moving into field-goal range.
Cameron Dicker hit a 53-yard field goal attempt to give the Chargers the lead.
Chargers 3, Raiders 0, 5:05 left in the first quarter
Chargers’ defense gets fourth-down stop
The Raiders started at their 32-yard line.
Gardner Minshew passed to Zamir White for a yard, then passed to Tre Tucker for an eight-yard gain.
The Raiders went for it on fourth-and-inches at their 41-yard line. White tried to run up the middle, but Poona Ford stuffed him for a one-yard loss and turnover on downs.
Chargers 0, Raiders 0, 6:00 left in the first quarter
Another penalty thwarts Chargers drive
The Chargers started at their 13-yard line.
J.K. Dobbins ran for three yards.
The Chargers were then hit with another false start penalty.
On second-and-12 at the Chargers’ 11, Justin Herbert passed to Hayden Hurst for six yards.
Hebert then passed deep along the left sideline to Quentin Johnston, but the pass was broken up.
The Chargers punted and the Raiders took a fair catch at their 32-yard line.
Chargers 0, Raiders 0, 7:31 left in the first quarter
Chargers’ defense force Raiders to go three-and-out
The Chargers defense’s improved heft at the point off attack showed on the Raiders’ opening drive.
The Raiders started at their 21-yard line.
Gardner Minshew passed for nine yards. Zamir White then tried to run up the middle and Charger Otito Ogbonnia dropped him for no gain. On third-and-one, Chargers Joey Bosa and Alohi Gilman stuffed White for no gain and the Raiders were forced to punt.
The Chargers signaled for a fair catch on the punt at their 13-yard line.
Chargers 0, Raiders 0, 9:30 left in the first quarter
Penalties, sack thwart Chargers’ opening drive
Justin Herbert completed a pass for 13 yards ad Gus Edwards ran for six yards before a false start penalty and a fumble offset by a Raiders penalty slowed down the drive.
On second-and-four, Edwards ran for no gain and Hebert was sacked on the next play for a loss of four yards.
The Chargers punted 28 yards and the ball went out of bounds at the Raiders’ 21.
Chargers 0, Raiders 0, 11:44 left in the first quarter
And we’re off ...
The Chargers received the opening kickoff in the new landing zone and returned it to the Chargers’ 39-yard line.
Chargers 0, Raiders 0, 14:50 left in the first quarter.
Jim Harbaugh in awe of Chargers’ Justin Herbert: ‘A human computer chip for a brain’
From his first day as the Chargers’ coach, Jim Harbaugh was enamored with Justin Herbert’s leadership abilities. The fifth-year quarterback “leads from the front,” Harbaugh praised.
That is, unless Herbert is emerging from a broken elevator.
When about a dozen members of the Chargers’ traveling party were stuck in an elevator in Dallas last month, Herbert was the last to scale the ladder to safety, letting everyone else crawl through a ceiling panel before him after they were trapped for two hours.
The gesture only solidified Harbaugh’s belief in the young star whom the Chargers hope to follow to success.
Jim Harbaugh might sound quirky, but Chargers get the message as opener approaches
Even after listening to Jim Harbaugh speak throughout the Chargers’ training camp, edge rusher Khalil Mack still can’t figure how his new coach’s brain is wired. Whenever Harbaugh is talking, Mack has no idea what he’s about to hear.
“Never know what he’s going to say when he’s in front of the whole group of people in the team room,” Mack said as he looked down to conceal his smile.
Rookie linebacker Junior Colson played under Harbaugh over the three previous years at the University of Michigan, and he can’t predict the metaphor that Harbaugh might use to convey a certain idea.
“He still catches you by surprise sometimes,” Colson said.
Chargers newcomers out to prove themselves amid whirlwind of kickoff week
Taylor Heinicke wanted to unwind and celebrate making the Atlanta Falcons’ initial 53-man roster last Wednesday. The veteran quarterback clicked on a Netflix documentary that featured the University of Michigan.
That’s how Heinicke met his new coach.
For the Chargers’ last-minute additions and last-second survivors of last week’s roster cut down, making a 53-man roster is only the chaotic start to a competitive season as the team prepares for Sunday’s opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Heinicke, defensive back Elijah Molden and running back Hassan Haskins crisscrossed the country multiple times last week while settling into life with the Chargers and tying up loose ends from their previous teams. Heinicke was watching Netflix’s newly released documentary on Connor Stalions and the sign-stealing controversy at Michigan when Falcons head coach Raheem Morris called to alert him about the trade to L.A. With family members split between Michigan and Ohio State allegiances, Heinicke, a neutral Atlanta native, couldn’t help but chuckle at the timing of the call.
Returner Derius Davis has a huge ‘stake’ in Chargers’ special teams
Most people look at the player who initiates the new NFL kickoffs as the kicker.
Not Derius Davis.
“That guy looks like a steak dinner to me,” said Davis, slated to return kicks for the Chargers.
That’s because if a returner can slip through a crease, it could leave him in a one-on-one situation with someone who makes his living with his toe, not his tackles.
The new rules put the majority of opposing players much closer together for kickoffs, reducing the likelihood of car-crash collisions and increasing the chance of substantial returns, as opposed to touchbacks.
Meet Sanjay Lal, Chargers receivers coach with hands on the key to an untested offense
It’s too dramatic to suggest Sanjay Lal has to mold a clump of clay into a masterpiece, but as receivers coach for the Chargers, he’s facing a significant challenge.
The team has talent at the position, and certainly has invested draft picks, but in most cases those players are either untested or underperforming. On the other end of those passes is quarterback Justin Herbert, who has elite talent but has yet to achieve elite results, with nary a playoff victory to his name.
“I won’t say it’s been easy to this point,” Lal said recently. “But for the first time I feel like we’re on the right track. In fact, today I said, ‘No one knows who the eff we are.’ If we do things the way we’re coaching, with the juice, the sound technicians we’re becoming, the fight in the run game you’ll see … we don’t look like other teams.”
Jim Harbaugh and his coaching staff are out to make a change, and Lal — whose personal football odyssey is one of stubborn resolve — is an integral part of that effort.
NFL preview 2024: Seven teams that can win the Super Bowl in New Orleans
Maybe this is the year the Detroit Lions finally win the Super Bowl.
Or perhaps the Houston Texans?
Or how about the Cleveland Browns, who last won a division crown in 1989? (Incidentally, since realignment in 2002, every NFL franchise but Cleveland has won its division at least once.)
Part of the NFL’s excitement and appeal is its competitive balance, the notion that so many teams at the beginning of the season feel the Lombardi Trophy is within reach.
Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack out to prove they can be NFL’s best defensive duo
Joey Bosa knew immediately. When he rushed the quarterback on the last rep of a joint practice with the Rams, he realized he broke his left hand. The Chargers’ star defensive end had no idea what would happen next.
“A million” thoughts started racing through Bosa’s mind. “Most of them,” he said three weeks later with a surgically repaired hand, “are negative.”
For the Chargers’ supposed new era, the training camp injury felt like unwelcome deja vu. After two injury-plagued seasons, the four-time Pro Bowl player’s health is one of the key components to orchestrating a turnaround in coach Jim Harbaugh’s return to the NFL, because with Bosa next to Khalil Mack, the Chargers have the most formidable edge-rushing duo in the league to anchor a defense trying to bounce back from a 5-12 season.
From player to coach, Jim Harbaugh imbues his Chargers with a fighting spirit
Mike Riley can laugh about it now — that time his starting quarterback fought his teammate.
As Riley, the then-Chargers head coach recalled it, the team was on its way to its fourth consecutive loss. The Chargers failed to score a touchdown in a road game against the Oakland Raiders. Chargers safety Michael Dumas, who Riley called “one of the toughest guys around,” said something to the team’s quarterback about the offensive struggles.
Jim Harbaugh took offense. The quarterback pressed his facemask against Dumas’ and linebacker Junior Seau pulled them apart. It didn’t end on the field.
“By the time they got to the locker room, they were full-fledged fighting,” Riley said. “Jim would not back down to anything.”
Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders: How to watch, start time and prediction
The Chargers start their new era against the opponent that ended their last one.
After an embarrassing 42-point loss to the Oakland Raiders last December resulted in Brandon Staley’s firing, new head coach Jim Harbaugh will make his debut Saturday at SoFi Stadium against the AFC West rival. Outside of Harbaugh’s ever-present khakis, almost nothing seems guaranteed about the new-look Chargers.
Quarterback Justin Herbert is working with new running backs and receivers behind an offensive line that will start rookie Joe Alt at tackle. The former No. 5 pick will be welcomed to the NFL by Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby. The defense is in for a reboot under former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.