Raiders' Bitter Rival Chargers Were Not Built to Win

The Los Angeles Chargers' roster was not exactly constructed in the best manner possible this NFL season.

Sep 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) is tackled by Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle John Jenkins (95) and defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A whole lot of people liked the Los Angeles Chargers heading into the 2024 NFL season, mostly due to the fact that Jim Harbaugh had taken over as head coach.

However, what many tended to ignore was the fact that the Chargers lost a whole lot of talent during the offseason, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

Los Angeles subtracted wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Gerald Everett back in the spring. The Chargers didn't exactly do a great job replacing those players, either.

Yes, Los Angeles selected receiver Ladd McConkey in the second round of the NFL Draft, and to the Chargers' credit, McConkey does look like a steal. However, he is now dealing with a knee injury that could keep him sidelined for a bit.

And sure, Los Angeles landed halfback J.K. Dobbins in free agency, but Dobbins came with a massive injury risk. Sure enough, Dobbins is now on injured reserve.

The problem isn't with those moves specifically. It's with the fact that the Chargers failed to add any sort of depth at the skill positions.

Right now, assuming McConkey is out, tight end Will Dissly is Justin Herbert's most reliable target. Dissly has been in the league since 2018, and his career high for receiving yards in a single season heading into 2024 was 349.

Dissly has broken that mark with 399 yards thus far this year, but the fact that he is now essentially Herbert's top target is an issue.

Herbert himself has been largely mistake-free this season, having thrown just one interception. But he is only completing 63.4 percent of his throws (a career low), and his 212.6 yards per game is also the lowest mark of his career.

The explosiveness just isn't there with this Chargers offense, an offense that clearly was not built to survive one or two significant injuries.

Los Angeles is 8-4 on the season, so kudos to Harbaugh's group for actually managing to get this far. That being said, the Chargers haven't really beaten anyone, as their only victory against a team with a winning record came against the Denver Broncos.

It has always seemed like only a matter of time before the rug would be pulled out from underneath Los Angeles. It seems like that may be about to occur with games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Broncos coming up.

The Las Vegas Raiders themselves will face the Chargers in the season finale and may have a major opportunity to play spoiler to their AFC West rivals in that matchup.

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