The Chargers started the Jim Harbaugh era on Sunday with a 22-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
What we learned about the team, which still has a lot to prove under its new coaching staff:
Chargers stayed on course
The Chargers averaged just 2.2 yards per carry in the first half, running the ball nine times and attempting 13 passes. The slow start didn’t stop the Chargers from sticking with the running game, however, and it paid off with 176 yards on 27 carries that helped offset Justin Herbert’s 144 yards on 17-of-26 passing. That’s the most rushing yards for the Chargers since 233 in a loss to the Miami Dolphins in the 2023 season opener.
“We’re not just hitting a rock, we’re hitting in the passing game, hitting in general,” said running back JK Dobbins, who finished with 135 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. “We’re going to keep fighting, keep believing, and eventually the rock will break.”
Dobbins delivered the first big blow with a 47-yard run on the fourth play of the Chargers’ first drive of the third quarter. He scored his first touchdown in nearly a year on the first play of the fourth quarter and — after missing all but one game last season because of a torn Achilles tendon — Dobbins played a crucial role in the decisive 92-yard touchdown drive that secured the win.
After the Raiders punted on fourth-and-1 with 7:09 left, offensive tackle Rashawn Slater was up six points and called on Dobbins to take the team home. The 25-year-old Houston native responded with a 55-yard run on the next play.
Read more: Plaschke: Jim Harbaugh’s reborn Chargers beat Raiders with the combative image of their new coach
“He’s a dog,” Slater said.
After the long layoff, Dobbins admitted that he was not physically in top shape yet. He complained about being chased by defenders on his two long runs. Dobbins was one of the many starters who did not play in the preseason.
“We don’t care about stats, we don’t care about status,” Dobbins said. “We care about winning as a family.”
As training camp dragged on and the season opener drew closer, Khalil Mack became less interested in talking about what he and a healthy Joey Bosa could do on the perimeter. The All-Pro outside linebacker wanted to show it on tape.
The defensive stars sent a thrilling highlight video around the league. Bosa tied for the team leader with seven tackles and had a sack and a forced fumble in his first game since his foot injury last November. Mack was equally dominant with three tackles, 1½ sacks, a fumble recovery and a deflected pass that led to an interception.
That performance, combined with a strong interior defense led by defensive tackles Poona Ford and Otito Ogbonnia, held the Raiders to 71 yards on 22 carries. Bosa and Mack both restructured their contracts this spring, hoping their third season together would finally be the big one. While Sunday offered a promising glimpse, Bosa stressed that the bigger picture isn’t yet clear.
“I know I won a lot of first matches, but the season still didn’t go as I had hoped,” said Bosa. “That’s why I think 2-0 is much nicer than 1-0.”
Recipients are in progress
The Chargers’ least-proven unit became even more mysterious this week when receiver DJ Chark Jr. was placed on the injured list, which will keep him out of action for at least four games with a hip injury. The seven-year pro, who came to LA as a free agent from Jacksonville, was the most experienced receiver on the roster.
In his place, rookie Ladd McConkey was given a tryout as the Chargers’ top receiver.
The 22-year-old from Georgia led the Chargers with five catches for 39 yards and a touchdown. McConkey, a second-round draft pick, evaded two defenders in the fourth quarter to score his first NFL touchdown, which also sealed the win.
“That’s what makes him so special and that’s why we value him so much,” Herbert said of the shrewd receiver.
Read more: From player to coach: Jim Harbaugh gives his Chargers fighting spirit
Second-year receiver Quentin Johnston had three catches on five targets and provided one of the rare offensive highlights of the first half with a 16-yard catch on third-and-25, allowing the Chargers to kick a long field goal.
Herbert, who missed two weeks of training camp with a foot injury, still appears to be working on timing with the new group of receivers. He threw several passes behind intended targets, including one that missed Joshua Palmer and was nearly intercepted.
“We know the games aren’t going to be perfect,” Palmer said. “We had a few weak periods in the first half. It’s just about hanging in there and not getting lost. Don’t get lost in your losses.”
Reporters Kevin Baxter and Anthony De Leon contributed to this report.
Get the day’s best, most interesting and weirdest stories from the LA sports scene and beyond from our newsletter, The Sports Report.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
