Rivalries are the theme of the week for the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. There’s always a little extra on the line when two AFC West foes face off, especially when both teams are 1-0, but the two head coaches have plenty of history, leading us into the key matchups for the contest.
Pete Carroll vs. Jim Harbaugh
The rivalry between these two goes back nearly 20 years, when Carroll was at USC and Harbaugh was at Stanford. Harbaugh won two out of three matchups in the college ranks before Carroll left for the NFL, after the infamous “What’s your deal?” handshake when Stanford went for two up 27 points with about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Then, Harbaugh followed Carroll to the NFC West and won the first three head-to-head matchups with the San Francisco 49ers before the Seattle Seahawks went on to win five out of the next six games in the rivalry. The latter includes the 2013/2014 NFC Championship contest and a 42-13 drubbing on Harbaugh’s birthday in 2012. Coincidentally, Carroll will turn 75 on Monday night, so his rival would like nothing more than to return the favor and blow out his candles this time.
Of course, there’s plenty of mutual respect between these two and while they’ll never admit it publicly, there’s likely an equal amount of animosity between them given the history and bad blood. It also wouldn’t be surprising if part of the reason Carroll signed on to be the Raiders’ head coach this offseason is so that he can reignite the rivalry that’s been dormant since 2014, seeing his old “friend” twice a year.
Considering the series is currently tied 6-6, there will likely be a bigger smile than normal on the winning coach’s face.
Darnay Holmes vs. Ladd McConkey
While this is undoubtedly a key matchup, it could also be considered a key mismatch in the Chargers’ favor.
Nickelback is one of the Raiders’ biggest question marks right now. Holmes led the team with 20 snaps in slot coverage last week, per Pro Football Focus, but struggled by giving up five completions on six targets for 73 yards, and the one incompletion was a missed throw by the quarterback. Unfortunately, things won’t get any easier this week.
McConkey took the NFL by storm as a rookie last season, hauling in 82 catches for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns while recording 70.2 percent of his snaps in the slot, via PFF. He immediately became one of the league’s most productive inside receivers, ranking fifth with 52 receptions, second with 761 yards and tied for fourth with five touchdowns from that alignment.
In other words, the second-year pro figures to be a big part of Los Angeles’ offense moving forward. And even if McConkey isn’t the Chargers’ primary slot receiver on Monday night, Holmes still has a tough matchup against well-tenured veteran Keenan Allen, who had seven catches, 68 yards and a touchdown last week.
So, Holmes either must be on top of his game or Las Vegas will need to develop a new plan to cover the slot.
Devin White vs. Omarion Hampton
The Chargers only ran the ball on about a third of their plays last week, but that was likely an anomaly. Traditionally, Harbaugh-led teams fit the ground-and-pound description to a T, hence spending a first-round pick on a running back last April.
With free-agent addition Najee Harris missing all of training camp, Hampton is expected to be Los Angeles’ lead back at the beginning of the season. He had an underwhelming NFL debut with just 15 carries for 48 yards (3.2 ypc) last week, so much like Ashton Jeanty, the No. 22 pick of the draft will have something extra to prove this time around.
Meanwhile, White is coming off an impressive debut with the Raiders, especially against the run. The linebacker led the team with 11 total tackles and had four ‘defensive stops’ as a run defender at a 26.7 percent rate. The latter two figures ranked third and second, respectively, among linebackers, per PFF. Especially if Elandon Roberts is going to miss time after suffering a sprained elbow in the opener, Las Vegas will need White to replicate his performance.
Also, Hampton can be a factor as a receiver, recording 67 catches for 595 yards during his last two seasons at North Carolina and two catches for 13 yards for the Chargers in Week 1. So, these two should face off in the passing game too, and White surrendered just two catches for 14 yards on five targets last week in New England.
Additionally, the running back figures to be part of L.A.’s pass protection plan, while the linebacker is known for his pass-rush skills when blitzing.
Brock Bowers vs. Derwin James Jr.
Bowers left the season opener with a knee injury, putting his status for Monday night up in the air. But if he does play, it’s no secret that he’s the focal point of Las Vegas’ offense. The tight end was the team’s leading receiver as a rookie and continued that trend against the Patriots, catching five passes for 103 yards. However, the second-year pro faces stiffer competition this time around.
James is a three-time All-Pro (one first-team, two second-team selections), and his coverage skills are a big reason why. He ranked 11th among safeties with a 75.5 PFF coverage grade last season and is off to a strong start in 2025, posting a 77.9 mark while surrendering 14 yards on six targets with four receptions in the season opener. That sets up for an intriguing matchup between two All-Stars from a year ago.
During their two meetings in 2024, Bowers was targeted three times with James guarding him and caught just two passes for 10 yards, according to PFF. So, the tight end has something extra to prove on Monday night.
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