The Las Vegas Raiders will face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2 on Sunday afternoon. The team will try to start 2-0 for the first time since 2021 with a road win, which would be quite a statement for Klint Kubiak's team to make in the early going.
It will take an all-out effort to beat the Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers. They will be uniquely motivated, as they are looking to avoid an 0-2 start. 0-2 teams have a 10% chance historically of making the playoffs, and Los Angeles doesn't want to be in the struggle of bouncing back from the hole.
Kubiak and his coaching staff will have to make all the right moves to pull off the upset. Here are the keys to victory for the Week 2 AFC West divisional battle.
3 keys to Las Vegas Raiders beating the Los Angeles Chargers
Using the tight end position
The Raiders will probably go into Sunday without Brock Bowers, but he will try to work out before the game and see if he can go. If he doesn't play, Michael Mayer will have to step up as the main target against a team that struggles against tight ends.
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride caught nine passes for 95 yards and a touchdown last week in the 26-14 win over the Chargers. Expect Mayer to lead the team in targets as the Raiders attack underneath and maybe go vertical.
Diverse pressure package
The Chargers went viral for a late sack in the game against the Cardinals in Week 1. It was a perfectly executed blitz, leaving two unblocked defenders and an easy hit on quarterback Justin Herbert. Rob Leonard will look to confuse the offensive line and test their protection.
Leonard dialed up plenty of pressure packages last week against the Miami Dolphins. He has a ton of exotic looks in his bag of tricks, and he can’t hold back against the Chargers. If Leonard can take advantage of their obvious communication problems, it can be a long day for Los Angeles' offense.
Free up Nakobe Dean
Mack Wilson had an excellent game last week for the Cardinals against the Chargers. Wilson was all over the field for Arizona and helped create big plays for the defense. It was all by design and, hopefully, something Leonard saw on film.
Based on their alignment, the Cardinals were fully prepared for the Mike McDaniel outside zone running game. The over front, with edges lined up in a wide 9 technique, forced the Chargers' offensive line to block certain defenders.
This left Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson free to roam and make plays in the backfield. Nakobe Dean could be that player for the Raiders, who already made big plays last week against the run. Leonard will need to duplicate that success and help Dean make a big impact for Las Vegas.
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