The first edition of Chargers-Raiders was everything you expected.

Both teams played tough, hard-hitting football. The fire and energy was palpable throughout the game. It really felt like an old school game between these two teams as there was plenty of scrimmage and a near-brawl even broke out late in the fourth quarter after the Chargers took a 22-10 lead with less than three minutes left in regulation.

Justin Herbert didn’t have to single-handedly lead his team to victory this time by playing brilliantly. He finished the day with 144 passing yards and a single touchdown. That’s not exactly the usual stat line for the Chargers’ golden boy. Instead, he played a clean game, along with a running game that totaled 176 yards on 27 attempts and a defense that took the ball away three times.

That’s the recipe for success that Harbaugh wants for this franchise. And that’s exactly what the Chargers want to repeat week after week. But now the head coach can celebrate his first win in his first year with his team that fought like crazy for him in the decisive phase.

A full quarter-by-quarter recap of tonight’s game can be found below.

First quarter

After winning the coin toss, the Raiders decided to forfeit. The ball was in the Chargers’ possession at the start of the game.

The first drive of the game began after a strong return from Derius Davis from beyond the 35-yard line. Tight end Will Dissly caught the first pass of the game and ran 13 yards for a first down. On the next play, Dissly was charged with a false start, which ultimately derailed the drive as Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby prevented their second and third downs with a no-gain stop and a sack of Herbert, respectively.

Jesse Minter’s first real attack as defensive leader went as well as one could hope for, forcing a quick three-and-out, highlighted by a run by Joey Bosa and Alohi Gilman just outside the posts.

Dissly was penalized for a false start for the second time on the second play of the ensuing drive, which led to another punt. Herbert’s pass was incomplete to Quentin Johnston on third down.

The Raiders got what appeared to be a first down on their second drive of the game, but the referees ruled it a half-yard short. Antonio Pierce risked a run on fourth down, but Poona Ford, the Chargers’ first-year defensive tackle, escaped the center’s block and blocked Zamir White for a loss of one yard.

The Bolts started on the Raiders’ side, running Edwards seven yards on the first and second attempts. Unfortunately, Dissly was assessed his third penalty of the game – this time a holding flag – which again ended the drive early. Herbert hit Johnston with a short crosser to get them back into field goal range, and Cameron Dicker was good from 53 yards to give the Bolts a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Minshew and All-Pro receiver Davante Adams finally connected as the two combined for two 30-yard completions, both on big third down attempts. On first-and-10 from the Chargers’ 31-yard line, Minshew hit running back Alexander Mattison in the flat, who leapt over Asante Samuel Jr. and Daiyan Henley before clearing the sideline and sprinting into the end zone.

With 45 seconds left in the quarter, the Raiders led 7-3.

Second quarter

The second quarter began with three punts – two by the Chargers and one by the Raiders. On LA’s second drive of the quarter, McConkey caught a pass for a first down on the first play, but the Chargers’ drive was again stymied by a false start penalty. It was the fourth of the day, and this time McConkey was the culprit.

Minshew got the Raiders moving with two completions to rookie tight end Brock Bowers, putting them in Chargers territory. Then the pass rush came to life.

On second-and-10 from the 43-yard line, Morgan Fox and Khalil Mack connected at the quarterback and brought down Minshew for a loss of 12 yards. On the next play, Bosa performed a stunt, coming from the side into the A-gap and running right into Minshew’s lap, earning his first sack of the season.

The Raiders had possession at the Chargers 48-yard line with 1:22 left in the half when Minshew was sacked and threw the ball toward the sideline. Kristian Fulton got there first but couldn’t catch Minshew. Mack then came, grabbed it and ran 22 yards to the Raiders 12-yard line. With excellent field position, the Chargers gained just five yards before settling for a short field goal, bringing the score to 7-6 at halftime.

Third quarter

The Chargers defense started the second half hot, forcing another Raiders three-and-out. The ensuing drive was the Chargers’ longest of the day, as they covered 74 yards in nine plays thanks to a 46-yard run by Dobbins, his longest since his rookie season in 2024. Dobbins’ run brought the Chargers to the Raiders’ seven-yard line, but from there they could only manage a single yard as Dicker scored on his third kick of the day to make it 9-7.

Las Vegas focused on the running game at the start of the next offense, with Zamir White managing two runs for 26 yards on the first three plays. However, at the end of his second run, Bosa was able to catch up to the runner and force the ball out, which was recovered by the Chargers at their own 45-yard line.

Once again, the Bolts had to pause three times on offense. On the third and fourth attempts, Herbert threw a deep crosser behind Palmer and the ball was almost snatched from Palmer’s hands by the deflection. At first, the loss of the ball was counted as a turnover, but after a review, the possession was canceled. The Chargers would still punt.

Vegas’ White started to feel it on the ground again and made a couple of strong runs that gave Adams another big lead through the air. The defense ducked to force a field goal, but Daniel Carlson was wide right and the Bolts took over at their own 39-yard line.

Herbert and the offense started with a 27-yard pass to Hayden Hurst down the right sideline, who made a fake screen pass to Derius Davis in the flat. Hurst faked a downfield block before sprinting into the open grass. Three plays later, Herbert hit Palmer on an out route for a first down. Edwards ran his longest run of the day with a 10-yard run up the middle, putting the Chargers at the Raiders’ 12-yard line as the quarter ended.

Fourth quarter

On the very first play of the quarter, Herbert handed off to Dobbins from the shotgun position and the rookie Bolt plowed through several would-be tacklers and found the end zone from 12 yards out. The Chargers’ first touchdown of the season gave the Bolts a 16-7 lead over the Raiders.

The Raiders answered with a long drive of their own, culminating in a 33-yard catch-and-run by wideout Jakobi Meyers. Khalil Mack got another sack on second down two plays later, and the defense held on third down to force Carlson into another field goal.

On the next drive, Chargers punter JK Scott had to punt and kicked the ball 41 yards to Vegas’ Tre Tucker at their own 27. Tucker returned the ball 21 yards, giving the Raiders their best starting position of the day. Facing fourth-and-1 at the Chargers’ 43, Antonio Pierce decided to punt the ball away instead of attempting it to increase the pressure on the Bolts.

On the ensuing drive, Dobbins made the Chargers’ longest run in two full seasons, breaking through the Raiders defense and taking it 61 yards to Vegas. Herbert found McConkey on third-and-6 to give the Chargers a 22-10 lead after their two-point conversion attempt failed.

After the two-point attempt, a brawl broke out, stemming from a fight between Palmer and Raiders defender Marcus Epps. Crosby and Johnston were also involved and had to be separated, with Harbaugh walking all the way to the end zone to make sure his players were escorted back to the sideline.

Minshew and the Raiders did what they could, trailing by 12 points and with little time left on the clock, but their comeback attempt was short-lived as Mack deflected a pass into the arms of defensive tackle Poona Ford, resulting in his first career interception.

The Bolts held on and won 22-10.