Chargers under pressure to avoid 0–2 start against Raiders
Los Angeles faces Las Vegas after a three-phase failure against Arizona and before a demanding run of fixtures.
The Los Angeles Chargers enter their Week 2 meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders under pressure to avoid an 0–2 start after losing to the Arizona Cardinals in their opener.
Yahoo Sports reported that the Chargers had appeared to have a manageable opening pair of home games against Arizona and Las Vegas before facing a significantly tougher section of the schedule.
The Week 1 loss exposed problems across offence, defence and special teams. Los Angeles converted two of eight third downs and failed on all three fourth-down attempts, while its offensive performance deteriorated after an opening-drive touchdown.
The stakes rise after the Raiders game, with road fixtures against the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks in Weeks 3 and 4. The Chargers then host the Denver Broncos before travelling to face the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of their Week 7 bye.
An 0–2 record would not mathematically end Los Angeles’ playoff prospects. Yahoo Sports cited eight of 40 teams that began 0–2 since the NFL adopted its 17-game schedule in 2021 as having reached the playoffs, while the previous season’s Super Bowl teams, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, both lost their opening games.
The Raiders contest is therefore an assessment of the Chargers’ ability to correct their early shortcomings before the schedule becomes more demanding, rather than an official elimination game.
