Chargers face the Raiders at SoFi, with Raider Nation set to flood the stands again

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Playing the Las Vegas Raiders at home has been good for the Los Angeles Chargers on the field, having won five in a row.

In the stands, maybe not so much. Raider Nation shows up in droves at SoFi Stadium, a vestige of the team's 13-year presence in Los Angeles that ended in 1994.

The teams open AFC West play Sunday at SoFi Stadium, with the Chargers (0-1) defeating the Raiders (1-0) by double digits in their past four meetings.

Las Vegas hasn't beaten the Chargers on the road since 2020, and that game was played without fans because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The past is the past, the future you can't control,” Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby said. “The best way to control your future is by being present and by being great where your feet are at.”

The Raiders are coming off a 27-13 win over Miami in coach Klint Kubiak's debut.

The Chargers are eager to bounce back from a surprising 26-14 loss to Arizona after coming in as the NFL's biggest favorite in Week 1.

“Your mindset is, what are you gonna do about it?” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “A lot of things to build on. I’m never satisfied with anything related to football.”

Need to know

Las Vegas (1-0) at the Los Angeles Chargers (0-1).

When/where to watch: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT, CBS.

Latest odds: Chargers by 6 1/2.

Against the spread: Raiders 1-0; Chargers 0-1.

Last week: Raiders beat the Dolphins 27-13; Chargers lost to the Cardinals 26-14.

Last meeting: Chargers beat Raiders 31-14 on Nov. 30, 2025, in Inglewood, California.

Series record: Raiders lead 69-62-2.

Matchup to watch

Raiders pass rush vs Chargers QB Justin Herbert. The Raiders had five sacks in their opening win against Miami, with Crosby getting 1 1/2 sacks in the fourth quarter. Herbert, the NFL's third most-sacked QB last season, was brought down three times in the loss to Arizona. Crosby has eight career sacks of Herbert, who is 8-3 against the Raiders as a starter. The Chargers' offensive line is hurting, and star receiver Ladd McConkey listed day to day. He took a jarring hit to his ribs against Arizona and sat out the fourth quarter after catching a team-leading five passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. If McConkey can't go Sunday, rookie Brenen Thompson could get a chance to show off the speed that made the Chargers take him in the fourth round.

Stats and stuff

— The Chargers allowed nearly 400 yards and had just 17 first downs in their 26-14 loss to Arizona.

— The Raiders are 1-0 for the second year in a row and the sixth time in eight seasons. They have just one winning season, however, over that span. Las Vegas made the playoffs in the 2021 season after winning its first three games. That’s also the most recent time the Raiders began at least 2-0.

— Chargers rookie center Jake Slaughter played all 55 snaps in his debut while being called for two penalties in the fourth quarter.

— The Raiders scored 27 points in their opener against Miami. They scored that many only once last season, a 30-29 home loss to Jacksonville on Nov. 2.

— The Chargers will be looking to improve on time of possession, a strength during Harbaugh’s first two seasons. They had the ball for just 22 1/2 minutes against Arizona.

— Las Vegas allowed no sacks against the Dolphins, the first time the Raiders have done that since Week 4 of the 2025 season against Chicago. They allowed a league-high 64 sacks last season.

— Ashton Jeanty produced his second career game with at least 100 yards rushing and more than one receiving touchdown. Only two other players have ever done that twice — Brian Westbrook and Christian McCaffrey. No player has done it three times.

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AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

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