The Las Vegas Raiders dominated the Chargers late, and safety Derwin James wasn't happy about it.
The Las Vegas Raiders had a finishing kick against the Los Angeles Chargers in their 26-14 win on Sunday, and star safety Derwin James owned up to just how bad the Chargers have been in their first two games as he said LA “looks like trash” in a report from Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
The exact quote featured the words “that [expletive] just looks trash,” and James emphasized the need for the players to look each other in the eye rather than get angry.
It’s hard to dispute the assessment. The Chargers were upset by the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, and the Raiders turned the fourth quarter into a late beatdown as they scored the last 16 points of the game, including a safety in which defensive end Maxx Crosby was held in the end zone on a pass rush to complete the humiliation.
The Chargers fumbled six times in this game, losing one, and Herbert was picked twice. Star left tackle Joe Alt picked up three penalties as the offense couldn’t get out of its own way, and the Raiders dominated the fourth quarter especially to turn a competitive game into something very different.
James also indulged in some delusional denial with his comments, however, as he said the Chargers are “a couple of plays away,” which is tough to justify after a double-digit loss at home. Coach Jim Harbaugh has never started 0-2 in his coaching career, and from the way LA played on Sunday it’s going to take a lot to turn this team around.
Quarterback Justin Herbert looked especially lost on Sunday, as he spent much of the second half on the sidelines with that glazed-over expression we’ve seen from him before. One of the fumbles had a man in motion who wound up kicking the ball away from Herbert on a shotgun snap, so it’s hard to blame him for looking shocked.
The schedule won’t help. The Chargers are now 0-2, and they’ve replaced the Raiders at the bottom of the AFC West, which seemed unthinkable going into the season. Their next two games feature road trips to play the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks, and it’s easy to see Harbaugh firing new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel given how dysfunctional the offense has looked.
Meanwhile, the Raiders are sharing the top spot in the division with the Kansas City Chiefs, which has to be one of the weirdest developments of the young season.
