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The Los Angeles Chargers are emotionally challenged as they take on the Las Vegas Raiders in a high-profile matchup in Week 1. The previous game played between these fierce rivals, on the other was a disaster for the Chargers, as they fell by a whopping 63-21 during Thursday Night Football, Week 15, which is the highest points the Chargers have ever allowed in a single game, the pin drop.
Generally, that fifth week loss dashed their hopes on that record. Still, it also brought about some internal policies that saw head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco leave the organization. This extreme change appears to reside in the thoughts of the Chargers’ collective, especially those who survived that abysmal night.
"Come on, man," safety Derwin James said via the L.A. Daily News. "Come on, man, you can't embarrass me like that." The Chargers’ roster during that terrible game was strikingly thin since the team missed numerous players, such as Quarterback Justin Herbert, who was out the whole game due to injury, and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
The starting quarterback was Easton Stick, but given all the circumstances, the opposing performance was bad by NFL standards and especially bad on the defensive side of the ball. Ever since that loss, the Chargers have changed tremendously under new head coach Jim Harbaugh and General Manager Joe Hortiz.
The organization has changed, and now, with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter at the helm of the defense, there is an anticipation of improvement.
Chargers Eye Redemption
James had memories on one hand and expectations of the game on the other.
"I remember it, personally, for myself," he said. "But a lot of these guys (in the Chargers' locker room) weren't around here then. But I remember it. This is Raiders week. It's a division opponent. It means that much more." Since the arrival of Harbaugh and Hortiz, the atmosphere at the Chargers' camp has been filled with unrelenting positivity as the players and the fans alike expect things to change soon.
"I feel like we're in a good spot, but we've got to go out there Sunday and show it to the world," James said. "It doesn't matter where we feel like we're at, we've got to go out there Sunday and put it on film for the world to see." "It definitely feels different because it's new, everything is new for us," James added. "But all that don't mean nothing.
We've got to go out there and play Sunday. We've got a game against the Raiders. It's a division game and we've just got to go out there and play." With the Kansas City Chiefs earning the first victory of the season in Thursday night's opening game, the importance of the upcoming divisional game against the Raiders has increased.
It is not only about making up for failed objectives or demonstrating the proper action against seemingly total futility. Instead, it is about preserving a winning branch as the divisional race to the barrel begins even more.
English (US)