The Chargers were disastrous in Week Two, falling to the Raiders 26-14 at home to fall to 0-2 on the season ahead of what will be the league’s toughest schedule from Week Three on.
Justin Herbert and the offense turned the ball over three times, including a pair of interceptions (although one was a David Njoku drop right in his hands). The other was a lost fumble by Omarion Hampton, the second of his in as many games this year.
Defensively, the Chargers held the Raiders in check on most drives, but several broken coverages were the difference, including a 40-yard touchdown from Kirk Cousins to wideout Tre Tucker to break the opening tie where rookie Genesis Smith looked to play the wrong coverage.
For the second consecutive game, the Chargers offense was frustratingly underwhelming and completely disconnected. But even when Herbert was hitting his receiver in their hands, they weren’t making catches. Rookie Brenen Thompson dropped a ball that his chest to kill the opening drive. Quentin Johnston also dropped a perfect pass up the left sideline between two defenders.
Herbert finished with 15 completions on 27 attempts for 192 yards and one touchdown with the pair of picks. Hampton was one pace for a career-high in yardage, but his disaster second half brought that to a halt. He finished with 94 rushing yards (second most in a game) and a score to go with two catches for 21 yards.
Ladd McConkey, broken rib and all, still led the team with three receptions. Tre’ Harris led the team with 53 receiving yards on a lone catch.
Cornerback Cam Hart was unfortunately a main offender on defense. The young corner allowed several big plays to Tre Tucker, one of which was the 42-yarder near halftime that set the Raiders up with points before the break. Later on, he was called for hands to the face, giving the Raiders a first down despite the defense otherwise forcing a punt.
Del’Shawn Phillips and Derwin James led the defense in tackles at seven each. Khalil Mack and Akheem Mesidor combined for the lone sack of Cousins.
Cameron Dicker missed his only field goal attempt of the season thus far, a 58-yard kick that ricocheted off the right upright.
I don’t think anyone knows where the Chargers are supposed to go from here, but right now, all signs are pointing to one of the worst seasons in recent franchise history.
Deal with that accordingly.
First Quarter
The Chargers received the opening kickoff with Keaton Mitchell bringing the ball out to the 32-yard line.
A three-yard rush by running back Omarion Hampton followed by a seven-yard pass to receiver Quentin Johnston combined to move the chains for the first time for the Chargers. A nine-yard reception by tight end David Njoku set up a short two-yard run by Hampton which moved the chains yet again.
Cameron Dicker came out to attempt a 58-yard field goal following a third-down pass was dropped by rookie wideout Brenen Thompson on what would have otherwise been a big gain and another first down. Dicker pushed the ball just slightly right and it doinked off the lower right upright to keep the score 0-0.
The Raiders looked like they had some early life on offense during their opening drive, but a pass intended for receiver Tre Tucker landed in the arms of cornerback Cam Hart after Tucker slipped at the top of the route. The Chargers couldn’t muster a drive after the turnover and punted away from their own 32-yard line.
After forcing a three-and-out by the Raiders offense, the Chargers looked to grab some momentum back. On third down, Herbert lofted a pass to Njoku who broke free up the left sideline, but the pass wasn’t caught cleanly and it ricocheted off his hands into the arms of a Raiders cornerback who returned it all the way to the LA 23-yard line.
Cousins found wideout Jack Bech for a 16-yard gain who fumbled it to himself to give the Raiders first-and-goal at the three-yard line. But the Chargers defense held on all four downs to force a turnover on down and gain possession at their one-yard line.
Second Quarter
Starting the quarter in the shadow of their own goal line, the Chargers needed to create space. Two runs by Hampton gained five yards, but that upcoming third-and-five was turned into third-and-nine after back-to-back false starts on right tackle Joe Alt. The Chargers would punt and give the Raiders possession at the Vegas 49.
It took three plays in for Cousins to drop back and find wideout Tre Tucker for an easy 40-yard touchdown pass to break the tie via a deep post route. Rookie Genesis Smith was in at free safety alongside second-year safety R.J. Mickens and it looked like a big miscommunication as Smith let Tucker run right by him with no help on the other side.
Needing points bad, the Chargers went to work, putting together a 10-play, 69-yard drive spurred on by a resurgent rushing attack led by Hampton. The second-year back had 27 yards rushing and 18 yards receiving on the drive, including a one-yard touchdown run to tie the game back at 7-7.
Khalil Mack recorded his first sack of the season, beating the Raiders right tackle to bring down Cousins on third down and get the ball back to the offense in time for a two-minute drill ahead of the break.
After platooning Trevor Penning in at right guard during their scoring drive, the Chargers put Cole Strange back in for the two-minute drill. The Bolts went 21 yards in four plays, but were forced to punt after Herbert and Johnston looked disconnected on a route that ended in an incompletion with nobody near where the ball fell.
Cousins found Tucker again for a gain of 42 yards with 30 seconds left to get near field goal range. After several run stops by the Chargers for no gain, kicker Matt Gay connected from 59 yards out (a career long) to give the Raiders a 10-7 lead into halftime.
Third Quarter
The Chargers offense came out firing with a huge three-and-out forced that netted just one yard by the Raiders offense before they punted it away.
Herbert and the offense responded in a massive way thanks to a huge 53-yard catch and run by Tre’ Harris to get the offense all the way down to the Las Vegas five-yard line. After a bobbled handoff exchange with Keaton Mitchell on first down, Herbert found Oronde Gadsden II in the back of the end zone after a nifty play-fake to take the lead 14-10 with 9:49 remaining the period.
The Raiders responded to the Chargers touchdown with a score of their own which capped off a lengthy 11-play, 74-yard drive that ended in a Cousins pass to receiver Cody White who made a twisting catch over cornerback Rodney Shelley. The score put the Raiders back up on the Chargers 17-14 with 3:53 on the clock in the third.
Herbert and the offense needed to once again meet the challenge and retaliate with a scoring drive of their own, but the inconsistent operation on offense reared its ugly head once more.
On third-and-inches, Herbert motioned Harris from the right side of the formation to the left. However, center Jake Slaughter snapped the ball just as Harris passed behind him and the ball ricocheted off the receiver’s leg for a loss of four yards after Herbert managed to jump on it. Herbert was visibly enraged about the situation, yelling at his teammates during and after the debacle.
Fourth Quarter
On third-and-eight from the Chargers 46-yard line, Cousins luckily overthrew an open Malik Benson for what would have been a big gain early in the fourth quarter. The play forced another punt from the Raiders, but the Chargers could not do much with it on the other side.
Herbert was nearly stripped inside his own 10-yard line but luckily the Chargers recovered at the two. A six-yard run by Hampton and a 12-yard pass to McConkey were just enough to move the chains and allow the Bolts some breathing room. Left tackle Rashawn Slater was called for holding on the ensuing first down which set the Chargers offense at first-and-20 at their own 10. A swing pass to Mitchell got 15 yards back in one chunk, but Hampton was stuffed on third-and-two to force another Bolts punt.
The rumbling and stumbling downhill only hastened from there.
After moving 30 yards in five plays, Hampton took a handoff up the middle and had the ball punched out which bounced immediately into the arms of safety Jeremy Chinn who raced the ball back to the Los Angeles 16-yard line.
On third-and-five from the 11, Cousins found a wide open Cody White for the latter’s second touchdown of the day. White, if you weren’t aware, was elevated from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.
Staring down a 24-14 deficit, Herbert and the offense immediately were called for an illegal formation penalty, this one being Joe Alt’s fourth flag of the game. Three plays later, Herbert dropped back and fired over the middle to a covered Derius Davis and was once again picked off by cornerback Hezekiah Masses.
The Chargers defense forced another three-and-out to hold on to some semblance of hope, but it all vanished when Alt was called for holding on Maxx Crosby while Herbert was in the end zone. The Chargers were forced to punt back to the Raiders down 12 and that was all she wrote.
Los Angeles drops to 0-2 with a road game against the Bills in Week Three.
