The San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders have a lot in common. Both franchises are based in California, both teams compete in the AFC West, each has made the Super Bowl just one time in the past 30 years, and each lost in that appearance. The teams are even in discussions to move to the same city – Los Angeles – where they would potentially share a stadium.
They also hate each others guts.
The potential moves to Los Angeles could bring about divisional changes, but for now, the two teams remain heated division rivals. With a stacked AFC West that also includes a solid Kansas City Chiefs squad and a still-elite Denver Broncos team, there’s not much room for error. It’s very possible that neither the Chargers nor the Raiders make the playoffs, and all but certain that they won’t both do it. That makes it very important for the two teams to separate themselves. So who will be better this year, the Raiders or the Chargers? Let’s take a look at both teams.
San Diego Chargers
Are the Chargers falling apart? It’s starting to look that way. Antonio Gates was busted for PEDs, so he’s going to miss the first four games of the season while serving a suspension. And as Los Angeles talks heat up, the team could start to get that “lame duck” feeling, which would alienate fans.
But on the other hand, the Chargers were awfully close to the playoffs last year. If they can duplicate that campaign and get just one more win they’ll be in the postseason. And that could certainly be possible, as the Chargers’ major offseason losses are all slated for next year, not this one. They return with a squad that looks very much like their 2014 team (with Gates excepted, of course). They’ve added Melvin Gordon at running back which should help take some pressure off Phillip Rivers.
Oakland Raiders
The 2015 Raiders are a tough team to predict. They were atrocious last year (3-13), but they look very different this preseason. They canned head coach Dennis Allen after the team started 0-4, and their new head coach, Jack Del Rio, won Super Bowl XXXV with the Baltimore Ravens back in 2000. They’ve added offensive weapons, including fourth overall pick Amari Cooper (wide receiver, Alabama). Hope is a fragile thing in Oakland, but the Raiders seem to be on the road to recovery.
Is it enough to be competitive this coming season? It’s hard to say. They certainly haven’t had as many setbacks as the Chargers, but the team still needs a ton of work. Derek Carr is still developing and many young quarterbacks suffer a bit of a slump in their second season. But if Carr can buck that trend and connect with their new athletic receiver, the Raiders should see major improvements on the offensive side of the ball.
So who is better?
Thanks to their young stars, the Raiders’ future seems much brighter than the Chargers. The Chargers are on the way down, while the Raiders are going to pass them on the way up. But that’s not going to happen next season, because the Raiders’ core is too young and the Chargers haven’t lost their key contributors yet. Expect the Chargers to be better than the Raiders this coming season – but not for long after that.