Behind stellar defense, Chargers beat Raiders despite losing Khalil Mack to injury

LAS VEGAS — Welcome to Allegiant Stadium.

Remember to tip your Raiders.

The Chargers didn’t forget. They were the most generous tippers in town Monday night, with eight different players swatting away a total of 15 passes and intercepting three more in a 20-9 victory over their AFC West rivals.

🏈 Chargers 20, Raiders 9 — FINAL

The Chargers improved to 2-0 on the young season after their defense forced the Raiders and quarterback Geno Smith to come up empty on consecutive possessions late in the fourth quarter.

After Daiyan Henley sacked Geno Smith for an 11-yard loss on fourth and three with 3:51 left, the Raiders retook possession one play later. A fumbled exchange between Herbert and Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton led to Adam Butler recovering the ball at the Las Vegas 30.

But the Raiders went nowhere thanks to sticky pass defense that forced three incomplete passes.

Justin Herbert completed 19 of 27 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Quentin Johnston caught three passes for 71 yards.

Smith had 180 yards on 24-of-43 passing, with three interceptions.

🏈 Chargers 20, Raiders 9 — 5:58 left in the fourth quarter

Chargers All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. deflected a pass intended for Jakobi Meyers, leading to an interception by Donte Jackson to thwart a prime Raiders scoring opportunity late in the fourth quarter.

The defense bailed out the Chargers after a botched handoff to Derius Davis off a reverse on fourth and two allowed the Raiders to take over at the Chargers’ 42-yard line. The Raiders nearly picked off Justin Herbert the play before when linebacker Germaine Pratt bobbled a pass intended for Keenan Allen.

After Jackson’s interception, the Chargers went three and out, giving the Raiders another chance on offense, starting from their 18-yard line with 4:23 left.

🏈 Chargers 20, Raiders 9 — 11:15 left in the fourth quarter

Daniel Carlson kicked a 37-yard field goal for the Raiders — his third field goal of the game — to make it an 11-point game.

It was a minor victory for the Chargers’ defense since it forced Geno Smith and the Raiders into 19 plays that took 11 minutes and 15 seconds to move the ball 62 yards.

A holding penalty on Dylan Parham ultimately proved too much for the Raiders to overcome on the drive.

🏈 Chargers 20, Raiders 6 — 7:30 left in the third quarter

Cameron Dicker kicked a 20-yard field goal after the Raiders stopped the Chargers at the goal line to limit the damage.

The biggest moment of the drive came four plays earlier when Justin Herbert completed a 25-yard pass to Keenan Allen over the middle on fourth and two.

The 12-play, 72-yard drive to open the second half included passes of 24 and 10 yards to rookie receiver Tre’ Harris.

🏈 Chargers 17, Raiders 6 — HALFTIME

Veteran safety Tony Jefferson, elevated from the Chargers’ practice squad before the game, intercepted a deep pass from Geno Smith just outside the end zone to end any threat of the Raiders scoring again before halftime.

Justin Herbert completed nine of 14 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns after the Chargers went three-and-out on their first two possessions. Herbert also has 28 rushing yards.

Quentin Johnston has two catches for 67 yards and rookie running back Omarion Hampton has 22 yards on four carries.

Unfortunately, linebacker Khalil Mack sustained an elbow injury and he will not return to the game. Mack returned to the sideline with his left arm in a sling.

Smith completed 11 of 19 passes for 97 yards and Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has 30 yards in seven carries.

🏈 Chargers 17, Raiders 6 — 1:51 left in the second quarter

Quentin Johnston broke free from coverage and caught a spectacular 60-yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to extend the Chargers’ lead before halftime.

The five-play, 91-yard drive featured a 15-yard run by rookie Omarion Hampton on third down.

Unfortunately for the Chargers, veteran linebacker Khalil Mack likely will not be returning to the game. He returned to the sideline with his left arm in a sling after sustaining an elbow injury in the first quarter.

🏈 Chargers 10, Raiders 6 — 9:45 left in the second quarter

Daniel Carlson kicked a 40-yard field goal to cut into the Chargers’ lead.

The field goal capped an 11-play, 43-yard Raiders drive that stalled when Chargers rookie defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell sacked Geno Smith on third down.

🏈 Chargers 10, Raiders 3 — 14:02 left in the second quarter

Chargers veteran linebacker Khalil Mack sustained an elbow injury on the final play of the first quarter after colliding with Troy Dye while trying to tackle Raiders receiver Tre Tucker.

The team announced Mack is questionable to return.

Mack immediately went to the sideline medical tent before making his way to the locker room.

🏈 Chargers 10, Raiders 3 — 20 seconds left in the first quarter

Keenan Allen caught a 10-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone from Justin Herbert to put the Chargers back into the lead.

Allen also caught a 10-yard pass earlier in the eight-play, 72-yard drive after the Chargers went three-and-out on their first two possessions.

A personal foul penalty on Isaiah Pola-Mao for a late hit on a scrambling Herbert coupled with another Raiders penalty for too many men on the field aided the Chargers’ drive.

Ladd McConkey caught a 19-yard pass and then Herbert picked up 12 yards early in the scoring possession.

It wasn’t all good news for the Chargers — on the first play from scrimmage after the touchdown, Khalil Mack sustained an apparent elbow injury after colliding with Troy Dye while trying to tackle Raiders receiver Tre Tucker.

Mack immediately went to the sideline medical tent before making his way to the locker room.

🏈 Chargers 3, Raiders 3 — 9:02 left in the first quarter

The Raiders capped a 10-play, 42-yard drive with a 54-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson to tie the game.

Raiders quarterback Geno Smith has completed three of six passes for 28 yards so far. A 13-yard run by Ashton Jeanty helped fuel the drive.

🏈 Chargers 3, Raiders 0 — 13:43 left in the first quarter

Cameron Dicker kicked a 38-yard field goal as the Chargers capitalize on an interception to take an early lead in this AFC West rivalry.

On the first play from scrimmage, Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley intercepted a pass intended for Tre Tucker that safety Alohi Gilman deflected as he sprinted into the passing lane in an attempt to pick off Geno Smith’s pass.

Henley entered the day listed as questionable after waking up sick this morning.

Justin Herbert completed a five-yard pass to Ladd McConkey, but that was all the Chargers could muster against the Raiders defense on their first possession.

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — The Chargers played host to the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday in the first of the NFL’s record seven international games, with upcoming matchups between different teams in London, Madrid, Dublin and Berlin. Next season, the Rams will plant a flag in Australia with a regular-season game in Melbourne, the league’s first foray Down Under.

The NFL is focused on a long-range international strategy, not a series of one-off curiosities.

“It’s the opposite of the circus comes to town,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president of club business, international and league events. “It’s not one-and-done. It’s play the game and be engaged year-round. All clubs now have the rights in at least one market and that’s a long-term commitment. We’re investing in the long term to become a true global sport property.”

Jim Harbaugh didn’t know if he was coming or going.

Exhausted to the point of collapse and parked in the driveway of his Oakland Hills home, he briefly allowed himself to close his eyes — was it for a minute? An hour? — before jolting awake at 4 a.m. in a foggy panic. Had he just returned from his round-the-clock job with the Oakland Raiders, or was he supposed to be on his way back?

Here he was, a first-round pick from Michigan, a 15-year NFL veteran, and now a coaching grunt for the Silver & Black, ready to do whatever was asked.

“I always remember him with the hair all over his head going everywhere,” recalled receiver Tim Brown. “The veteran guys on the team were saying, ‘Jimmy, you don’t have to do this, bro. There’s other ways you can make money. You don’t have to be in here.’ Because he was literally the guy printing the papers, working the copiers. We were like, ‘All right, if that’s what you want to do with your life then OK.’”

Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley, who was added to the injury report Monday as questionable because of illness, will suit up against the Raiders.

Here are the players who will not be playing in Chargers vs. Raiders:

Chargers

S Elijah Molden

TE Tucker Fisk

CB Nikko Reed

LB Kyle Kennard

LB Kana’i Mauga

TE Oronde Gadsden II

DL Otito Ogbonnia

Raiders

OT Charles Grant

DT Tonka Hemingway

RB Raheem Mostert

DT JJ Pegues

C Jackson Powers-Johnson

DE Charles Snowden

There are great coaches all over the NFL. Super Bowl champions. Coach of the Year winners. Future Hall of Famers.

But when it comes to head coaches, across the board, no division can match the AFC West.

Andy Reid, Sean Payton, Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh.

It’s Mount Rushmore — or maybe Mount Passmore.

That’s 10 conference championships and five Super Bowl rings, possibly the most accomplished quartet of coaches since the league went to eight four-team divisions in 2002. There are no weak links.

Jim Harbaugh has already called him one of the greatest players to ever play his position.

The perception nationally of Justin Herbert isn’t as charitable. The consensus is that Herbert doesn’t belong in the top tier of NFL quarterbacks alongside the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow.

If anything, Herbert might be viewed as being closer to Jared Goff or Brock Purdy than Mahomes or Jackson.

As overwhelming as his athletic gifts are, as many jaw-dropping passes as he’s completed, Herbert still hasn’t won a playoff game for the Chargers.

SÃO PAULO — The social-media influencers showed up in droves Friday for the marquee matchup between the Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, only the NFL’s second regular-season game played in the Southern Hemisphere.

They snapped selfies, did dances, tried to top each other with eye-catching outfits and elbowed for the spotlight.

The Chargers embracing an opposite approach in play-calling — moving away from a run-heavy philosophy — left many bemused during their season-opening win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil.

Justin Herbert was given free rein to showcase his arm, firing pass after pass against the defending AFC champions. This approach hinged on trust; not necessarily in Herbert’s ability, but in his receivers’ capabilities.

“It’s all about having a clear mind and trust,” Quentin Johnston said. “Trusting the play call, and then trusting yourself to get open. Trusting Justin that the ball will be in the right place when you get open.”

Fresh off a toppling of Kansas City, the Chargers make their second stop on their whirlwind tour of the AFC West to face another familiar foe.

It’s Jim Harbaugh versus Pete Carroll, a coaching rivalry that began when Harbaugh was at Stanford and Carroll was at USC, and continued with Harbaugh at the San Francisco 49ers and Carroll at the Seattle Seahawks.

“You’d be friends,” Harbaugh said. “You’d be almost like brothers if it wasn’t for being on opposite sidelines. It’s the kind of guy you’d send a Christmas card to, but you don’t, because you’re too busy trying to scratch each other’s eyeballs out. Nature of the business. Dog-eat-dog.”