Raiders aim to put Chargers in hole on familiar turf, fresh opportunity

The Raiders looked like a team ready to turn a corner.The Chargers looked like a team that walked into a wall.Now comes the intriguing part: figuring out whether opening Sunday offered an honest introduction to both teams or another reminder of how convincingly the NFL can lie to us in September.Their meeting Sunday at SoFi Stadium should help clear that up.Or make the whole thing even more interesting.Because if the Raiders leave their second home with a victory, they will take a 2-0 record back to Vegas while leaving the Chargers buried in an 0-2 hole.And a division matchup that looked like a measuring-stick game for the Silver-and-Black would suddenly become the source of some uncomfortable questions for the Bolts.Nobody penciled in that particular role reversal.But life moves fast in the NFL.

Sometimes, the team everyone expects to spend the season chasing gets a head start.Sometimes, the supposed contender discovers its reputation cannot block anybody.The Raiders and Chargers have another three hours Sunday to tell us who they are.For the Raiders, the first impression was promising.The season-opening victory over the Dolphins offered evidence of an actual plan under new coach Klint Kubiak.

Ashton Jeanty gave the offense someone to lean on.The short passing game helped move possessions along.

A defense that too often needed Maxx Crosby to supply the disruption produced five sacks with plenty of help from others.There was a sense of different parts working toward the same purpose.For a franchise that has spent too many seasons trying to assemble an identity, that qualified as a meaningful development.But the Dolphins were one opponent.Sunday was one afternoon.The Chargers will ask harder questions.Can Kirk Cousins complete enough passes downfield to keep a defense from suffocating everything underneath? Can the offensive line keep opening running lanes when the opponent makes stopping Jeanty its first priority? Can the defense pressure Justin Herbert without ...