INGLEWOOD, CA– A fight broke out at the Los Angeles Chargers Las Vegas Raiders game at scorching SoFi Stadium on September 8th. The Chargers defeated the Raiders, 22-10 in the debut of the Jim Harbaugh era, but the multiple scuffles on the sidelines and in the end zone is what the game will be remembered for.
After a failed 2-point conversion at SoFi Stadium, players from both teams were involved in a lengthy scrum in the back of the end zone that lasted awhile. Players and coaches from both teams came running out to try to end the incident that appeared to start between Chargers receiver Joshua Palmer and Raiders cornerback Jack Jones.
Both Palmer and Jones were hit with unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and ejected.
On the field, The Chargers entered halftime down 7-6 after a very slow first half, but put up 13 points in the fourth quarter to grab the win, the first under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, who landed there after leading Michigan to a National Title last season in college football.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert went 17-of-26 for 144 yards with one touchdown in the win for the Chargers. J.K. Dobbins had 135 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries to lead them on the ground, and McConkey had a team-high 39 receiving yards on five catches.
The Chargers averaged 6.5 yards per carry and rushed for 176 yards as a team to pick up the win for Harbaugh, who returned to the NFL after leading Michigan Wolverines to a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2023, in what proved to be a chippy contest against the division rivals.
The Harbaugh era begins with a win, and the result is just as important as how the Chargers got there. They stuck with the running game in the second half, finishing with 176 yards on 26 carries. Dobbins led the way, including with a 61-yard run on the Chargers’ game-sealing touchdown drive.
After a sloppy first half, the offense’s physicality came alive in the second half. That extended to a brawl that erupted after a Chargers’ two-point attempt in the fourth quarter. The vision also materialized on defense, as the Chargers edge rushers dominated the game. Joey Bosa, who had a sack and forced fumble, was one of the best players on the field on either side. Khalil Mack added two sacks.
