The first week of the 2026 NFL season went very differently for the Raiders and Chargers. Las Vegas flexed their muscles against Miami, looking like a completely different team under Klint Kubiak. Meanwhile, LA had a horrific loss against Arizona despite being the much better team on paper.
Week 1 is always a little bit strange in the NFL. That often creates a sense of mystery going into Week 2, where team tend to reveal who they really are.
The stakes are even high in Week 2 for the Raiders and Chargers, as they are going head-to-head in a divisional matchup. Vegas has the chance to improve to 2-0 and gain a huge divisional win. Meanwhile, the Chargers will be fighting for their lives, as falling to 0-2 with a divisional loss would be a disaster.
So which team will come out on top in this one? And which players will make the biggest impact?
Here are three bold predictions ahead of this important AFC West showdown in Week 2.
Justin Herbert doubles Kirk Cousins in passing yards
The game of football often comes down the quarterback. If the Chargers want to get a huge win in Week 2, they'll need to set Herbert up for success.
Herbert was just okay in Week 1, going 17-of-27 for 209 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception. He did not sling the ball down the field much, but when he did it wasn't pretty. Case in point, his lone interception was on one of his deepest passes of the game.
Still, that does not mean the Chargers should give up on the deep passing game. In fact, leaning into Herbert's ability to throw the football is their best way of getting past the Raiders.
For this prediction, the Chargers will go nuclear on offense, giving Herbert double the passing yards of Cousins when all is said and done.
Herbert has never thrown for twice as many passing yards as Cousins when both quarterbacks have been active. So how could that possibly happen in Week 2?
LA will need to have a great game through the air with at least 325 passing yards to double up Cousins' numbers from last week. That is something that Herbert has only accomplished three times over the past two seasons. That's what makes it the perfect bold prediction.
It would also help if the Raiders invest a lot of their offense in running the ball with Ashton Jeanty. That would limit how many yards Cousins throws for, making it easier for Herbert to double up.
Speaking of Jeantyâ¦
Ashton Jeanty dominates as one-man show without Brock Bowers
Jeanty looked like the best player on the field against the Dolphins.
The second-year running back logged 23 carries for 102 rushing yards in Week 1. But he did most of his damage through the air, with six receptions for 45 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Jeanty silenced any doubts that he was not at 100% after dealing with an ankle injury before the season.
Will the Raiders ride Jeanty to another win in Week 2?
Vegas will need at least one other offensive player to step up against a good LA defense. But the Raiders absolutely must get a great game from Jeanty if they hope to win against the Chargers.
Jeanty will have at least 50% of the total offensive yards for the Raiders in Week 2. That certainly sounds bold, but it is absolutely within the realm of possibility. After all, Jeanty had 50.7% of the Raiders' total yards last week.
As part of this prediction, Brock Bowers will not play as he recovers from a meniscus trim. Bowers is considered day-to-day headed into Week 2, but in this scenario the Raiders exercise an abundance of caution.
It will be exciting to see how the Vegas offense looks once both Jeanty and Bowers are out on the field together.
Raiders find a way to win, advance to 2-0 on the season
On paper, the Chargers are the heavy favorite to win this game.
Not only are they the home team in this one, but they have the better coaching staff and quarterback. Those may be the two most important variables in any NFL game.
So what could a path to victory look like for the Raiders?
The key could be a strong defensive performance. Maxx Crosby is a truly elite pass rusher and he finally has some talented teammates around him. If the defense can force a few turnovers, then getting a win becomes a lot more manageable.
While a victory is still possible without a good defensive showing, it feels like a real long shot at best.
The Raiders come out on top in this one, winning by at least one touchdown. To make this prediction extra bold, Crosby needs to have at least two sacks and Vegas needs to force a pair of turnovers.