Chargers Hit Key Benchmark Vs. Raiders, A Rare 2023 Occurrence

Sunday marked the start of the Jim Harbaugh Era for the Los Angeles Chargers and his influence was certainly felt in their win against the Las Vegas Raiders , in more ways than one. If there is one thing that Harbaugh brings to teams it is an emphasis on the rushing attack. And that was on display in Week 1.

The Chargers Offense Rushes For 176 Yards, Best Day On The Ground In 362 Days The Chargers rushed the ball 27 times and only attempted 26 passes in a mostly close contest. Justin Herbert has thrown the ball that many times or fewer three times in his pro career and one of those games was one in which he left in the first half. On the positive side of things, the Chargers ran for 176 yards.



The 2023 Chargers surpassed this number just one time and picked up more than 150 yards just three times. After one game, it seems that Harbaugh and his offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, have not changed their stripes. Of Roman’s 10 seasons as an offensive coordinator, his teams have been in the top three in rushing attempts seven times and led the league twice.

Roman’s offenses have never been outside the top 10 in 10 seasons. Former Baltimore Ravens running back, JK Dobbins led the way with 135 yards, 79 percent of which came on a 46 and a 61-yard run. His longest run was the first run for more than 60 yards since 2022.

But outside of those two big gainers, the Chargers struggled to run the ball, particularly in the first half. All in all, they picked up just five of the Chargers’ 11 first downs on the ground and averaged only 2.8 yards per carry.

Perhaps the most encouraging outcome was that JK Dobbins emerged from the day uninjured. This article first appeared on LAFB Network and was syndicated with permission..