Raiders face Chargers in heated clash between division rivals

The season is all but officially over for the Las Vegas Raiders, but playing spoiler certainly would not be a bad thing.

On Sunday, the Raiders have the chance to punch a hole into an AFC West rival’s playoff ambitions when they face the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

The two teams have not met since Week Two, when the Chargers beat the Raiders 20-9 on the back of three Geno Smith interceptions. Both teams are drastically different heading into this game, however, so the Raiders need to learn what went wrong and make a functional plan this time around.

Here are some ways that the Raiders can do further damage to the Chargers’ postseason hopes.

New look offense

The Raiders made waves after last week’s dismal performance against the Cleveland Browns, canning former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly months after making him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL.

Head coach Pete Carroll now turns to a familiar face in Greg Olson to turn the tide on offense. As such, a few new wrinkles are expected to be seen when the Raiders have the ball. Whether the Raiders or Chargers respond to these changes first is going to be a clear indication of who walks away with the victory.

Big time players, big time plays

The Raiders have likely circled this game since their last encounter, and their top players are in position for big games.

Ashton Jeanty will hope to finally find some space against a Chargers defense that has been susceptible to the run at points, while Brock Bowers is hoping that a clean bill of health makes him more impactful this time around. On defense, Maxx Crosby does not have to worry about Joe Alt keeping him at bay, and he will be expected to inflict more punishment on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. If the Raiders want to change the narrative of the 2025 season, it starts with the players they expect to make an impact.

Expect some anger

The Raiders have to know that they are walking into Los Angeles against a Chargers team desperate to prove something.

The last time the Chargers took the field, they put together their worst performance of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. While the raiders fans likely had some schadenfreude at the expense of their rival, they now have to deal with an opponent looking to take some frustrations out. It can end one of two ways: the Raiders taking advantage of careless mistakes and coming away with the upset, or the Chargers being willing to show their rival why they are in the positions they are.