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Quarterback Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and battled through a hand injury as the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 31–14 before 71,018 fans at SoFi Stadium.
By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
Quarterback Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and battled through a hand injury as the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 31–14 before 71,018 fans at SoFi Stadium.
Herbert broke a bone in his non-throwing hand during the Chargers’ opening series. After trainers fitted a hard cast and a white glove, he finished the game taking exclusively shotgun snaps and limiting ball-handling.
“He’s as tough as they come,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said.
Despite the injury, Herbert completed 15 of 20 passes for 151 yards, improving significantly on the career-low 81-yard performance he posted last week against Jacksonville. He threw only eight passes after halftime but still directed an efficient offense that converted 12 of 17 third downs.
Herbert connected on touchdown passes to Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey, and Kamani Vidal. Vidal later broke loose for a 59-yard touchdown run, finishing with a career-high 126 rushing yards.
The Chargers (8–4) have now won four of their last five and moved to 4–0 in the division, keeping pressure on Denver atop the AFC West.
Raiders’ Struggles Continue
Geno Smith passed for 165 yards and threw two touchdown passes to tight end Brock Bowers, but the Raiders (2–10) dropped their sixth straight game and remain winless since Week 1.
Las Vegas showed slight offensive improvement under interim offensive coordinator Greg Olson, who took over after Chip Kelly was dismissed last week.
“No one knows how hard it is to step into that role when you haven’t been in it all season,” Smith said of Olson. “New terminology, getting players involved … I thought he did a great job.”
The Raiders’ 82-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter was their longest in a month. Bowers later made a spectacular one-handed touchdown grab with 7:49 left.
A Costly Mistake
Frustration boiled over late when four-time Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby inexplicably shoved Herbert to the turf several seconds after a first-down completion with 3:55 remaining. The personal foul gave the Chargers 15 free yards and extended a drive that ended in Jordan Patterson’s late touchdown — his first since 2021 — putting the game out of reach.
The Chargers have now beaten the Raiders four straight times, underscoring the widening gap between the longtime AFC West rivals.
Up Next
The Chargers return to SoFi Stadium to host Philadelphia on Monday night.
The Raiders continue their difficult stretch as they search for answers on both sides of the ball.