The Las Vegas Raiders will begin their 2024 campaign on Sunday afternoon when they travel to SoFi Stadium to take on the Los Angeles Chargers. While a road game for Las Vegas, their fans are expected to show up in full force.
The Raiders and Chargers split their two games last season, but a lot has changed since then for both teams. The most notable thing for Los Angeles was the hiring of Jim Harbaugh as head coach. Week 1 will mark the first time Harbaugh has been on an NFL sideline since he was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 2014.
Los Angeles also hired a new general manager in Joe Hortiz and parted with a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball, including wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, and running back Austin Ekeler.
In Las Vegas, the Raiders have a new starting quarterback in Gardner Minshew, and they have a new full-time head coach in Antonio Pierce, who led the Raiders to a 5-4 mark after assuming interim duties last season. Las Vegas also hired former Chargers general manager, Tom Telesco.
As if there wasn't enough juice for a season-opening matchup against two division rivals, there are a few revenge storylines that will only make things more interesting. Here's a look at the best ones.
Best revenge storylines for Raiders vs. Chargers
Davante Adams and the Pop-Tarts
The Chargers have made it an annual tradition to compare their opponents to made-up Pop-Tarts flavors ahead of the schedule release, and this year they compared the Raiders to a "garbage" flavor.
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) May 15, 2024
The fact that the Chargers used a picture of Davante Adams did not sit well with the star wide receiver, who made sure to point out just how much he has dominated Los Angeles since being traded to the Raiders.
#Raiders WR Davante Adams to the @Chargers...
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 9, 2024
"Keep my name out your mouth." 👀🌶️@tae15adams in his last four games vs. LAC:
494 REC YARDS, 4 TD 😤 @heykayadams we can't WAIT for Week 1 🍿 pic.twitter.com/MdItEcpOYK
Adams made sure to direct his anger toward the Chargers' social media team rather than the players themselves, but the best way to get his revenge is to burn the team with another big showing in Week 1.
63-21
The Chargers had arguably the most embarrassing loss of the entire 2023 campaign, and it came at the hands of the Raiders, who beat Los Angeles 63-21 in a Week 15 game that saw the Chargers turn the ball over five times. The only excuse for the Chargers was the fact that they didn't have Justin Herbert for that game.
Rest assured, the Chargers who are returning in 2024 haven't forgotten about that loss and will be hellbent on returning the favor on Sunday.
Tom Telesco vs. his old team
After 10-plus seasons as the Chargers' general manager, Tom Telesco got the boot during the 2023 campaign, along with former head coach Brandon Staley, ending their disappointing tenure together.
Ironically enough, Telesco's firing came after the aforementioned 63-21 drubbing at the hands of his new team, the Raiders. Telesco probably wouldn't admit it, but he almost certainly has this game against his former team circled on the calendar.
