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Chargers-Raiders takeaways: True to his word, Jim Harbaugh's team hit ground running
The Chargers started the Jim Harbaugh era with a 22-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
What we learned about the team that still has a lot to prove under its new coaching staff:
Chargers stayed the course on the ground
The Chargers averaged just 2.2 yards per carry in the first half, running the ball nine times to 13 passing attempts. The sluggish start didn’t deter the Chargers from sticking with the running game, however, and it paid off with 176 yards in 27 carries that helped balance Justin Herbert’s 144 yards on 17 of 26 passing. It's the most yards rushing for the Chargers since 233 in a loss to the Miami Dolphins in the 2023 season opener.
“[We’re] not just pounding a rock though, but pounding in the pass game, pounding in general,” said running back J.K. Dobbins, who finished with 135 yards and one touchdown in 10 carries. “We’re gonna keep fighting, gonna keep believing, and eventually the rock will crack.”
Dobbins delivered the first major blow with a 47-yard run on the fourth play of the Chargers’ first drive in the third quarter. He scored his first touchdown in almost a year on the first play of the fourth quarter and — after missing all but one game last season with a torn Achilles — Dobbins played a critical role in the decisive 92-yard touchdown drive that cemented the win.
Leading by six after the Raiders punted on fourth and one with 7:09 to go, offensive tackle Rashawn Slater asked Dobbins to carry the team home. The 25-year-old Houston native responded with a 61-yard run on the next play.
Read more: Plaschke: Jim Harbaugh's reborn Chargers beat Raiders with fighting image of their new coach
“He’s a dog,” Slater said.
After the long layoff, Dobbins admitted his conditioning is not in top physical shape yet. He lamented getting chased down by defenders on both of his long runs. Dobbins was one of the several starters who didn't play during the preseason.
“We don't care about stats, we don't care about status,” Dobbins said. “We care about winning as a family.”
Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa walking the walk
As training camp grew older and the season opener approached, Khalil Mack became less and less interested in talking about what he and a healthy Joey Bosa could do on the edge. The All-Pro outside linebacker wanted to show it on tape.
The defensive stars sent a sizzling highlight reel around the league. Bosa tied for the team lead in tackles with seven, and had a sack and a forced fumble in his first game since suffering a foot injury last November. Mack was just as dominant with three tackles, 1½ sacks, a fumble recovery and tipped pass that resulted in an interception.
The effort, combined with a stout interior led by defensive tackles Poona Ford and Otito Ogbonnia, held the Raiders to 71 yards rushing in 22 carries. Bosa and Mack both restructured their contracts this spring, hoping their third season together would finally be the charm. Although Sunday provided a promising glimpse, Bosa stressed that the full picture hasn’t come into focus yet.
“I know I've won plenty of first games, and the season still hasn't turned out the way you hoped,” Bosa said. “So I think 2-0 is a lot sweeter than 1-0.”
Receivers are a work in progress
The Chargers’ most unproven unit got even more mysterious this week as receiver DJ Chark Jr. was placed on injured reserve, which will keep him out with a hip injury for at least four games. The seven-year pro who came to L.A. as a free agent from Jacksonville was the most experienced receiver on the roster.
In his place, rookie Ladd McConkey got a tryout as the Chargers’ top receiving target.
The 22-year-old from Georgia led the Chargers with five catches for 39 yards and one touchdown. McConkey, a second-round draft pick, side-stepped two defenders in the fourth quarter on the way to his first NFL touchdown that also sealed the victory.
“That's what makes him so special, and that's why we think so highly of him,” Herbert said of the shifty receiver.
Read more: From player to coach, Jim Harbaugh imbues his Chargers with a fighting spirit
Second-year receiver Quentin Johnston had three catches on five targets and provided one of the rare offensive highlights during the first half with a 16-yard catch on third and 25 that allowed the Chargers to kick a long field goal.
Herbert, having missed two weeks of training camp with a foot injury, appears to still be working on the timing with the new group of receivers. He threw several passes behind intended targets, including a throw that missed Joshua Palmer and was nearly intercepted.
“We know that the games aren't going to be perfect,” Palmer said. “We had some lulls in the first half. It’s just about staying with it and not getting down. Don’t lose yourself in your losses.”
Reporters Kevin Baxter and Anthony De Leon contributed to this report.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
