INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kirk Cousins connected with Cody White for a go-ahead, 13-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and an 11-yard score in the fourth, and the Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Chargers 26-14 to end a four-game skid against Los Angeles in the teams' AFC West opener on Sunday.
In his 100th NFL game, Jim Harbaugh fell to 0-2 for the first time in his college or pro coaching career, with the heavily favored Chargers also losing to Arizona
26-14 last week.
Las Vegas beat the Chargers on the road for the first time since 2020, a game that was played without fans because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Raiders, who maintain a strong Southern California fan base, had lost four straight by double digits.
Leading 17-14, the Raiders' Jeremy Chinn recovered a fumble and returned it 43 yards with 3:52 remaining in the game. Omarion Hampton had a costly fumble for the second straight week and Chinn recovered, returning it to the Chargers 16-yard line.
Cousins then directed a three-play, 43-second drive that ended with White's second TD catch and a 24-14 lead in front of a raucous, predominantly Raiders-supporting crowd at SoFi Stadium.
Cousins was 19 of 29 for 253 yards with three TDs and an interception. He was sacked twice.
The Chargers took their first lead, 14-10, on Justin Herbert's 10-yard TD to Oronde Gadsden. Herbert fumbled and Keaton Mitchell recovered at the Las Vegas 10-yard line. Herbert then spun out of a potential sack with Raiders star Maxx Crosby looming to connect with Gadsden.
The Raiders answered right back with the TD catch by White, who was elevated from the practice squad a day earlier. He also played in Las Vegas' 27-13 win over Miami in Week 1 but did not have a catch.
The Raiders led 7-0 on Tre Tucker’s 40-yard touchdown catch on the Chargers’ busted coverage in the second quarter. Rookie Genesis Smith, replacing injured Elijah Molden, lost Tucker, leaving him wide open.
Matt Gay's career-best 59-yard field goal extended the lead to 10-7 just before halftime.
Herbert was 15 of 26 for 192 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He took three sacks.
The Chargers' Joe Alt, one of the league's top tackles, had three false-start penalties and an offensive holding call that led to a Raiders safety in the closing minutes.
The Chargers' opening drive of the game ended with Cameron Dicker's 58-yard field goal attempt hitting the crossbar. He'd previously made 59 of 63 field goals at home.
Raiders: S Treydan Stukes was hurt in the third quarter.
Chargers: S Derwin James Jr. (hand) got hurt late in the first quarter, but returned before halftime. ... TE David Njoku (knee) was taken off in a cart early in the second quarter and did not return. ... DL Dalvin Tomlinson was hurt in the fourth.
Raiders: Visit New Orleans next Sunday.
Chargers: Visit Buffalo next Sunday in their first road game of season.
___
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
