On Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders will kick off their 2024 NFL season against a familiar foe. The Raiders will travel to Los Angeles to take on the rival Chargers in an early-season matchup between two AFC West teams.
This is a matchup between two very equal teams, as both squads have played each other well over the past few seasons. Of course, the last time these two franchises met up was late last season, when the Silver and Black hung a 63-spot on the Chargers in an embarrassing primetime game.
Las Vegas has its issues going into this season, and in recent years, we have seen their home stadium, Allegiant, filled mostly with the other team's fans. On Sunday, they will likely have the crowd as their advantage even on the road, as Raiders fans love to fill up SoFi Stadium when these two teams get together.
Bill Williamson, who covers the Raiders for SB Nation, tweeted out this post this week.
No surprise, but according to @VividSeats SoFi will
— Bill Williamson (@BWilliamsonNFL) September 4, 2024
consist of 62 percent #Raiders fans Sunday.
No surprise there.
Raiders will have the 'home field' advantage on Sunday
For those who do not know, the Raiders franchise played in Los Angeles from 1982 through 1994, winning Super Bowl XVIII during that time 38-9 against the then-Washington Redskins.
Most experts do not like the Raiders' chances on Sunday, but that was to be expected after a summer that saw a quarterback battle go all the way down to the end of the preseason, and a big loss in running back Josh Jacobs. However, the Raiders upgraded on defense, and had a strong draft, so at this point, the Chargers and Las Vegas seem pretty evenly matched.
The Raiders have won six of the last ten meetings with the Chargers, though the two franchises did split their two meetings in 2023.
Justin Herbert will be a go for the Chargers in this one after battling plantar fascia during the summer months. He has had great success against the Silver and Black in the past, but will be facing a revamped front-7 for Las Vegas, one that should be able to put the pressure on him all game long.
Buckle up Raider Nation, the season is only a few days away!