Game Recap: Raiders earn first win in Los Angeles since 2020

Sep 20, 2026 at 04:27 PM

Digital Team Reporter

The Las Vegas Raiders greeted their Southern California fans Sunday with a complete performance and their first division win of the season by taking down the Los Angeles Chargers, 26-14.

With this win, Klint Kubiak is the first head coach (excluding interims) in franchise history to win both of his first games since Bill Callahan in 2002.

Both teams' defenses got off to strong starts, preventing any scoring until early in the second quarter.

Rob Leonard sent pressure from all angles with five different players recording a quarterback hit in the first quarter. Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker doinked a 58-yarder on the first possession, which gave the Raiders offense good field position.

While the Raiders offense got the ball moving down the field, Tre Tucker slipped down on an in-route and Cam Hart nabbed an easy interception. Two possessions later, the Raiders got a turnover of their own from Hezekiah Masses in his first career start. He snatched away a bobbled pass intended for David Njoku and returned it for 29 yards.

Once again, the Raiders offense couldn't capitalize on the momentum, halted at the goal line on four straight carries by Ashton Jeanty.

But in time, Tucker would redeem himself from his early blunder.

After the Raiders forced a third-and-out on the Chargers offense, Cousins hit No. 1 on two straight passes for 55 yards – the second being a 40-yard touchdown and the first score of the game.

In response, the Chargers leaned on a ground game propelled by second-year back Omarion Hampton. Six carries and 45 yards were enough for Hampton to get Los Angeles in the end zone and tie the game.

Cousins found Tucker on another deep ball for 42 yards, setting up Matt Gay to make a career-long 59-yard field goal to give the Raiders a 10-7 lead going into halftime. To amplify special teams play alongside Gay, All-Pro AJ Cole downed four of his six punts inside the 20-yard line in this outing.

To open the third quarter, the Chargers defense forced a three-and-out and Justin Herbert proceeded to come out of his slump. After going 7-of-15 with an interception in the first half, he found his groove for three completions and 66 yards.

Evading Maxx Crosby coming in for a sack, the Chargers quarterback found Oronde Gadsden for a 10-yard touchdown to take their first lead of the game.

The Chargers lead lasted for almost six minutes, as Klint Kubiak went deep into his playbook.

A few pass completions later and a fourth-down conversion on a Connor Heyward direct snap, the Raiders got 27 yards on a chunk play consisting of a double pass from Jeanty to Cousins to Dareke Young breaking wide open.

A week after making a touchdown-saving tackle on special teams, Cody White climbed a ladder over Rodney Shelley for a 13-yard touchdown. It was White's second career touchdown.

But White wasn't done just yet.

As Las Vegas held on to a tight three-point lead, they needed to get the ball back to their offense to seal the deal. Nakobe Dean delivered with a forced fumble on Hampton. The ball swooped directly in the hands of Jeremy Chinn, who returned it for 43 yards.

Already in the red zone, Cousins hit White for another touchdown on 3rd-and-5 to take a 24-14 lead. The Raiders quarterback finished with 253 yards and three touchdowns. Cousins is the ninth quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least three touchdowns in each of his first two starts with a team since starts were first tracked in 1950.

And the defense didn't let up either. Another Masses interception and a safety on Herbert followed.

Masses is the first Raiders rookie cornerback to record multiple interceptions in a game since Henry Williams in 1979.

Another complete showing from the Raiders in all three phases give them their first 2-0 start since 2021, and their first win SoFi Stadium since 2020.

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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) during the regular season game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.