Jim Harbaugh had never lost an NFL opener as a head coach… until last Sunday.
Now, with the Las Vegas Raiders coming to town, Harbaugh is looking to keep another streak intact. With him as coach, his Chargers are 4-0 against the Silver & Black.
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If Sunday’s game isn’t a must-win for the Chargers, it’s certainly a high-stakes contest on the heels of an opening flop against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Chargers did precious little right in that 26-14 defeat at SoFi Stadium, the first Week 1 loss for Harbaugh in seven openers.
Read more: Justin Herbert, Mike McDaniel and Chargers seek urgent reset against Raiders
The Chargers, who were favored by 9½ points, failed to generate anything close to a rhythm. The newly unveiled Mike McDaniel offense failed to get any real traction, and Justin Herbert was sacked three times.
One of the few bright spots for the Chargers was receiver Ladd McConkey, but his availability remains uncertain.
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Meanwhile, the Raiders dominated the visiting Miami Dolphins, 27-13, handing Klint Kubiak a victory in his coaching debut. Granted, the Dolphins don’t show a lot of promise.
Harbaugh’s teams have swept the Raiders each of the past two seasons. In fact, the last time the Chargers lost to the Raiders was a 63-21 debacle Dec. 14, 2023, and Chargers coach Brandon Staley was fired the next day.
Chargers: OL Trey Pipkins (knee) out; DB Elijah Molden (hamstring) out; WR Ladd McConkey (rib) questionable; DB Deane Leonard (abdomen) questionable.
Raiders: CB Darien Porter (foot) out; TE Brock Bowers (knee) doubtful; QB Aidan O’Connell (personal) questionable.
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The Chargers and Raiders will play Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PDT at SoFi Stadium. The game will be available on CBS and Paramount+ in Southern California. It will be available nationally via a subscription to NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. In Southern California, fans can listen to the game on 640 AM and 101.9 FM (Español).
Stopping the run will be a key for the Chargers, who seemed poised for a bounce-back performance, even without McConkey. The Chargers are favored by nearly a touchdown but it feels like this division will be closer.
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Sam Farmer’s pick: Chargers 27, Raiders 23
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
