The Los Angeles Chargers leaned on a swarming defense and Justin Herbert’s touchdown passes to beat the Las Vegas Raiders 20-9 on Monday night, moving to 2-0 and into sole possession of the AFC West lead, according to the NFL’s game wrap. The Raiders fell to 1-1. The Chargers intercepted Geno Smith three times, sacked him three times and held Las Vegas to 218 total yards.
How L.A. set the tone
Rookie linebacker Daiyan Henley picked off Smith on the game’s first snap, the first of three Chargers interceptions on a night the defense controlled from start to finish. The unit answered late offensive lulls with three consecutive scoreless stands after a turnover on downs, a three-and-out and a first-play fumble, the league report said. Edge rusher Khalil Mack left with a concerning elbow injury; there was no immediate postgame update.
Turning point
After early field goals were traded and the Chargers built a 10-6 lead late in the second quarter, Los Angeles marched 91 yards in five plays, capped by a 60-yard strike from Herbert to Quentin Johnston. On the next possession, safety Tony Jefferson intercepted Smith at the 1-yard line, denying momentum before halftime. Those back-to-back series swung control to L.A. for good, the team recap noted.
Herbert, efficient again
Herbert threw two touchdown passes — a red-zone score to Keenan Allen and the deep shot to Johnston — giving him five TDs and zero interceptions through two weeks, according to the NFL summary. While the offense could not salt the game away in the fourth quarter, the defense covered each mistake.
Raiders’ offense struggles
Smith finished 24 of 43 for 180 yards with three interceptions and a 37.0 passer rating, and the run game never found rhythm. A 19-play, 62-yard third-quarter drive that ended in a field goal summed up a night short on explosives and points, the league report said. Next Gen Stats said Smith went 0-for-12 with three interceptions on downfield attempts (over 10 air yards), the only quarterback since 2016 to attempt 10 or more such passes without a completion in a game.
Key stat
Coordinator Jesse Minter’s defense has opened 2025 with back-to-back first halves without allowing a touchdown. It’s the seventh time since the start of 2024 the Chargers have held opponents without a first-half TD, one of only a handful of NFL teams with at least seven such games in that span, the club noted.
Scoring summary (team account)
— 1Q: Cameron Dicker 38 FG (LAC 3-0)
— 1Q: Daniel Carlson 54 FG (3-3)
— 1Q: Keenan Allen 10 pass from Herbert (LAC 10-3)
— 2Q: Carlson 40 FG (LAC 10-6)
— 2Q: Quentin Johnston 60 pass from Herbert (LAC 17-6)
— 3Q: Dicker 20 FG (LAC 20-6)
— 4Q: Carlson 37 FG (LAC 20-9)
What’s next
The Chargers return home to face the Broncos in Week 3, completing a three-game run against AFC West opponents, the team said.
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