All was right in the world for the Las Vegas Raiders after Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. After hiring Pete Carroll and John Spytek, the Silver and Black escaped with a road win against the New England Patriots to kick off the year, and everyone in the fanbase and organization seemingly felt vindicated.
Of course, Raider Nation knows where this story goes: Las Vegas would only win two games the rest of the year and end up with the No. 1 overall pick. They'd be forced to hit the reset button again just months later. And for as extensive as their issues were, there was a clear turning point for the team.
In Week 2 on Monday Night Football, the latest installment of the Carroll-Jim Harbaugh rivalry at the time, the Raiders got throttled at the hands of their AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers. Geno Smith threw three picks, and he and Las Vegas lost their nerve and never got it back. The rest was history.
And there's a chance that a similar situation could unfold in 2026. But the Silver and Black need to be much better prepared this time.
Las Vegas Raiders' rumored Week 2 game against LA Chargers is chance to do things differently and make a statement
With the 2026 NFL schedule set to be released on Thursday evening, a good portion of leaks and rumors have already made their way into the main stream. In fact, based on the information available, the Raiders' entire schedule for this coming fall can already be surmised, albeit in an educated guess.
One of these rumors stands out above the rest, however. No, this hasn't been announced or confirmed, nor reported by the reliable names like Adam Schefter or the like. But NFL Nerd, who has an accurate history in this realm, has reported that Raiders vs. Chargers is on deck in Week 2 again.
What a bit of déjà vu for Las Vegas. Hopefully, they can avoid re-living the debacle that was last year.
Much like 2025, the Raiders should be coming off a winnable game against an AFC East foe. After all, it is rumored that Las Vegas will host the Miami Dolphins on opening weekend, who took a torch to their roster this offseason and unloaded anyone valuable but not named De'Von Achane.
If the Raiders can pull out a win, they'd be heading into a Week 2 matchup against the Chargers with an opportunity to make a statement, again. Would Las Vegas flounder under the pressure and nosedive as they did a year ago? Would they back up their Week 1 showing and make a big splash?
Heck, the Raiders could even lose to the Dolphins to kick off the year. Nothing is out of the question, here. But even a competitive outing against the perennial playoff-bound Chargers would keep the wind in Las Vegas' sails, unlike the beatdown that deflated the team and fanbase so early last year.
Again, this is just a rumor. And it is anyone's guess how Week 1 will go or what Los Angeles or Las Vegas will look like. But the Silver and Black can't afford to get railed by their AFC West rival so early in the campaign. It dampened the spirits irreversibly a year ago, and they can't let it happen again.
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