After burning out in spectacular fashion in 2023, firing Brandon Staley for his inability to grow in the middle of the season, and landing the biggest fish in coaching free agency in Jim Harbaugh, the Los Angeles Chargers find themselves one of the most interesting teams in the NFL, with potential outcomes ranging from playoff players to a pick near the top of the 2025 NFL draft.
Sure, they have Justin Herbert back, along with a number of other stalwarts like Joey Bosa and Derwin James, but they have a new offensive coordinator, a new defensive coordinator, and a whole new era to build into the future, with Week 1 serving as nothing more than the opening tip of an incredibly long journey back to contention.
With that being said, how the Chargers look against the Las Vegas Raiders should tell fans a lot about how the 2024 season should shake out, as this is one of the more interesting matchups imaginable for Harbaugh's big return to the NFL.
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1. Justin Herbert doesn't look hampered by injuries
When the Los Angeles Chargers broke the news that Herbert would miss time with plantar fasciitis, it made fans all over Southern California, from the San Fernando Valley to San Diego, wondering if the Chargers would, unfortunately, find themselves treading water until the Oregon product finally returned to the field and to vintage form.
Well, in a twist of good luck, it would appear that Herbert will be ready for Week 1 and isn't too worried about his foot heading into the Raiders game, telling reporters he will be alright come game time.
"It's not really on my mind right now," Herbert told reporters via The Athletic. "It's one of those things that if you get out in front of it, you do a good job on the back end, whether it's making sure that you're rehabbing and icing and doing all the things that you can in the training room before and after practice so you don't have to deal with it later. As long as we're out in front of it, I think it'll be all right."
Will Herbert truly be 100 percent when he takes the field for the Chargers in Week 1? It's impossible to know, but considering Harbaugh is so committed to running the ball with his two former Ravens transplants that he employed a near-300-pound defensive lineman to serve as his fullback - when coupled with the fact that the Raiders defense ranked 21st in run defense last year - the Chargers might not even need him to play up to that level in order secure a win in Week 1, as they don't exactly scream 50 passes per game vertical passing juggernaut.
2. Gardner Minshew struggles against the Chargers' defense
While the Chargers are ushering in a brand new scheme across the board with the addition of Harbaugh, who will see if the success he found with the Michigan Wolverines will translate back to the pros, the Raiders have some new personnel, too, heading into a pivotal 2024 season, including new starting quarterback Gardner Minshew, who won the QB competition with Aidan O'Connell after the team lost out on a franchise quarterback in the draft.
Fortunately for the Raiders, Minshew should be able to do his job well enough this fall, as he turned in some good games for the Indianapolis Colts last season and was incredibly popular in Jacksonville before his Mania burned out in incredible fashion upon drafting Trevor Lawrence. Factor in the addition of Brock Bowers to go with Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Michael Mayer, and the Raiders might be able to shock some people in the AFC West.
Fortunately for the Chargers, even Minshew at his best is just an okay quarterback, and even last season, where he led the Colts to a 7-6 record, he struggled in big games and finished out the year with a 15-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Even if the Chargers are without Asante Samuel Jr. in Week 1, they should still have enough defensive talent to give Minshew a tough time and ultimately push the Raiders away from their game plan into a much more beneficial shoot-out.
3. The Chargers go 1-0 on a blistering LA day
So, how will the Chargers' first game of the Harbaugh era shake out? Will the man who didn't lose a single football game in 2023 be able to keep that streak going - minus the preseason - when it matters most against the Raiders? Or will the team instead look more like Year 1 of a long-term rebuild, which was the more likely outcome when he was signed to replace Brandon Staley after his tenure burned out in a spectacular way?
Well, considering Harbaugh has a 44-19 record in the NFL, 39 more wins than Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce, and the exact design of his offense and defense remains very much a mystery even for teams like Las Vegas, who have plenty of tape on Greg Roman from his Baltimore days and Jesse Minter from his time at Michigan. If Herbert can play near the height of his strength, the Chargers can push the ball down the field with their (expected to be) dominant rushing attack, and Roman can pick his spots for a few massive shots down the field, it's entirely possible the Chargers could leave Week 1 with a win on of the hottest days of the year in LA, which would set them up for success heading into the future.
Will it be pretty? No, the way the Chargers' offense is designed, it's unlikely they will have many blowout wins unless the combination of Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston really come into their own and Herbert becomes a top-5 QB. But hey, if the team can set a good foundation for the future this fall, it will only spell success for the Chargers heading into the future.