The Chargers will look to bounce back from an opening loss against the Cardinals on Sunday when they face off against the 1-0 Raiders.
Here's a few reasons to be optimistic that Los Angeles will get it done in Week 2.
Settling in
The Chargers dealt with growing pains last week with new coordinators on both sides of the ball. Mike McDaniel's offense looked phenomenal in the first drive of the season, but LA did not have many answers once they fell behind the sticks, and the offense slowed tremendously when Ladd McConkey (rib) exited the game. But the Chargers did not play their starters much in the preseason, something Jim Harbaugh mentioned as a regret this week, and McDaniel's offense is notoriously complicated. On defense, perhaps there's more reason to be concerned
considering how similar Chris O'Leary's scheme is to Jesse Minter's, but O'Leary's Western Michigan defense also struggled for the first few weeks of 2025 before rounding into form and finishing 10-1 over their final 11 games. Another week - and real game tape to review - should give the Chargers some help smoothing out their issues from Week 1.
Missing offensive weapon
Despite some early-week optimism, it's looking like the Raiders will be without tight end Brock Bowers, who had meniscus trim surgery before Week 1 and has not practiced this week. Las Vegas is expecting Bowers back soon - head coach Klint Kubiak told the media he hoped Bowers would return to practice this week - but the Chargers will certainly not lose any sleep if he is officially ruled out. LA struggled to contain Cardinals tight end Trey McBride last week, but Raiders tight end Michael Mayer caught 6 passes for just 32 yards against the Dolphins in Week 1. Bowers' absence will keep the Las Vegas offense's ceiling low and let the Chargers put more resources into defending running back Ashton Jeanty.
Turnover potential
With Bowers out and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza sitting and learning, Kirk Cousins threw two interceptions against the Dolphins in Week 1. Miami has the youngest defense in the league and is widely regarded as an extremely weak unit, so it stands to reason that Cousins may also be prone to throwing a few opportunities LA's way. The Chargers should also be able to get after Cousins, a less mobile quarterback, although it would require a bounce-back performance after their pass rush generated only 12 pressures against the Cardinals. Getting a few more splash plays from the defense should go a long way towards turning LA's fortunes around.
Offensive tackles returning to form
For as much discussion as there's been about the Chargers' interior offensive line, LA can take solace in the fact that Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt returned healthy in Week 1 and looked like the All-Pro-caliber players many believe them to be. Alt was perfect in pass protection, allowing 0 pressures on 39 pass-blocking snaps, while Slater was credited with two pressures in 39 snaps. Having those two in midseason form will help a lot this Sunday with Maxx Crosby on the other side. It also gives the Chargers an anchor point on the offensive line to work from going forward, a crucial floor that LA was missing with both players injured last season.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: 4 reasons for optimism for Chargers against the Raiders in Week 2
