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Grant Gordon’s takeaways:

  1. Chargers defense collects INTs, stands strong for victory. Daiyan Henley was added to the Chargers’ injury report on Monday morning, deemed questionable to play with an illness. He sprung to life at kickoff Monday night, picking off Geno Smith on the game’s first play from scrimmage and setting the tone for a splendidly opportunistic evening for the Bolts defense. Los Angeles piled up three interceptions, sacked Smith just as many times and held Las Vegas to a meager 218 yards. In a game that likely should’ve been a wider win for L.A., the Chargers’ offense waned late, turning it over on downs on their 43-yard line, going three-and-out and fumbling on first down over their first three fourth-quarter drives. The Chargers defense, in turn, didn’t allow a point after any of those failed possessions. Truly, a scary elbow injury to Khalil Mack was the only real blemish to a defensive masterpiece. Three Chargers had sacks, three had interceptions and eight had pass breakups. They stymied the Raiders from the first play to the last. 
  2. Raiders offense looks sleepy in late-night loss. As sensational and suffocating as the Chargers defense was, the Raiders were just as dreadful on offense. Geno Smith likely played his worst game since resurrecting his career with Pete Carroll in Seattle, throwing three picks and completing 24 of 43 passes for just 180 yards and a grimacing 37.0 passer rating. Brock Bowers was a non-factor throughout the majority of the game and the running game was next door to non-existent. Despite a string of golden opportunities in the fourth quarter, the Silver and Black couldn’t take advantage. Perhaps most troubling and symbolic was one of their three field-goal drives. Trailing by 14 points with 7:30 left in the third quarter, the Raiders slowly cut their lead and decreased their chance of a comeback with a 19-play, 62-yard slog of a drive that ended with a Daniel Carlson make. When it all ended, they were still down by two scores without a touchdown in the game. Carroll turned 74 years young on Monday, but his offensive unit didn’t seem to have anywhere near the exuberance of Las Vegas’ ageless wonder of a coach. There was no energy, no urgency and little-to-no production. For the most part, Vegas’ defense was solid, but in a late Monday nighter at home, the Geno-led Raiders offense looked like it was up past its bedtime. 
  3. Herbert, Chargers take early, impressive lead. Just like that, Justin Herbert and the Chargers are alone in first place of the AFC West, having dispatched two divisional foes and emerged from Week 2 as the division’s lone victor. It’s still early, but all wins count the same, and Herbert — aside from the offense’s dismal fourth quarter — has been excellent. He tossed a pair of touchdowns on Monday — one to old pal Keenan Allen for a 10-3 lead and a 60-yarder to Quentin Johnston, who’s quickly erasing any first-round-bust takes — for five in two games with no interceptions. Failing to salt away a win in the fourth quarter on three fruitless drives that added up to 11 plays for 29 yards and a lost fumble (credited to Herbert, though it seemed to be Omarion Hampton) is troubling. Still, though, Herbert is playing arguably the best ball of his career and flourishing in a second year with offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Meanwhile, the Chargers have become one of the most impressive NFL squads through two weeks. 
  4. Still waiting for first-round RBs to take off. Anyone expecting a showcase of the 2025 NFL Draft’s two first-round running backs was sorely disappointed. Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton were each held in check, just as they were in Week 1. Like the rest of the Raiders’ offense, Jeanty, the draft’s No. 6 overall pick, had little production to speak about. He was corralled to the tune of 43 yards on 11 carries (3.9 yards per carry) as the Raiders attempted 43 passes to 19 runs. Jeanty was targeted four times by Geno Smith, but had just one yard on three catches. Through two games, the popular preseason pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year has just 81 yards on the ground. Hampton, the 22nd pick of the draft, has 72 yards through two games. On Monday, he was held to less than 50 yards rushing in back-to-back games for the first time since his 2022 freshman season at North Carolina, per NFL Research. There’s little reason to think much brighter days aren’t ahead, but so far, the draft’s first-round RB duo has been anything but dynamic.  

Next Gen Stats Insight for Chargers-Raiders (via NFL Pro): Geno Smith became the only quarterback since 2016 to attempt at least 10 downfield passes (over 10 yards) without a completion. He was 0 for 12 with three interceptions on such attempts. 

NFL Research: Pete Carroll lost on his birthday for the first time after previously going 3-0 (including college). One of those wins was a 42-13 victory for Carroll’s Seattle Seahawks over Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers. Harbaugh now leads the all-time series (including college and playoffs) against Carroll, 7-6.