The Las Vegas Raiders had a tough start to their 2024 season, falling 22-10 to the Los Angeles Chargers in a game full of mistakes and missed opportunities.
The Raiders’ game plan seemed to fall apart, with turnovers, questionable coaching decisions, and a failure to stop big plays from the Chargers.
Coach Antonio Pierce was blunt in his assessment:
“The run game was poor, the passing game was off. You can’t have three turnovers on the road and expect to win.”
His team fumbled twice, threw an interception, and only managed 71 rushing yards compared to the Chargers’ 176. Quarterback Gardner Minshew, in his first start for the Raiders, completed 25 of 33 passes for 257 yards but was responsible for two key turnovers. “Totally on me,” Minshew said, referencing a costly fumble in the second quarter.
Pierce’s decision-making also came under scrutiny, particularly his choice to punt on 4th-and-1 in the fourth quarter when the Raiders trailed 16-10. Despite pinning the Chargers at their 8-yard line, the Raiders couldn’t stop a 61-yard run by J.K. Dobbins, which set up the game-sealing touchdown.
Reflecting on the defeat, Minshew summed up the team’s frustration, saying, “I feel like we beat ourselves.”
