Ridiculous Raiders are just what the doctor ordered for Chargers coming off ugly loss

It’s not often that NFL teams coming off an embarrassing 29-point loss and a 14-day layoff are favored by almost 10 points. It’s also rare when Chargers fans have been giddy about the arrival of their long-time arch rival.

But here we are: Bring on the Raiders, the perfect slump-busters.

When the Los Angeles Chargers host the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium, they’ll be favored by 9.5 points not because they’ve been playing so well. But because the Raiders are not only horrible, but also in complete disarray.

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Despite the ugly 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11, the Bolts are 7-4 and atop the Wild Card race in the AFC West. They also expect to get star rookie running back Omarion Hampton on the field after missing six games with an ankle injury.

Honestly, that should be enough against the Raiders, one of the worst teams in football at the moment.

On Sunday – at home, no less – the Raiders fell to 2-9 with a discouraging 24-10 loss to the lowly Cleveland Browns and rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Las Vegas quarterback Geno Smith, who has thrown a league-high 13 interceptions, was sacked 10 times and the Raiders were held below 20 points for the fifth time in seven games.

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Offense is the problem for the Raiders. They are tied for last averaging only 15 points per game, rank 30th in total yards and 31st in rushing. Heralded rookie running Ashton Jeanty has only 604 yards and four touchdowns. (Hampton produced 314 yards and two scores in only five games.)

After the loss to Cleveland, head coach Pete Carroll fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and senior
offensive assistant Bob Bicknell. Earlier this month, they fired special teams coordinator Tom McMahon.

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“You don’t score, you can’t win,” Carroll said after the game. “And we couldn’t score.”

The Raiders last won a game on Oct. 12.

Even more inviting for Jim Harbaugh’s team, the Chargers already handled the Raiders, beating them 20-9 in Week 2. In that game the defense held Las Vegas to three field goals while producing three takeaways and three sacks.

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Jim Harbaugh