Raiders beat Chargers 26-14 as Cousins throws three TDs and Masses picks Herbert twice

The Raiders are 2-0 for the first time since 2021. They beat the Chargers 26-14 at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, a result that also snapped a five-game losing streak against Los Angeles and a seven-game road skid, according to The Associated Press.

Kirk Cousins supplied the offense. He went 19 of 29 for 253 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, and as ESPN's Ryan McFadden noted, his six touchdown passes through two games tie Ken Stabler's franchise mark from 1976. Tre Tucker caught five passes for 119 yards, including a 40-yard score, and Cody White added touchdowns of 13 and 11 yards. Klint Kubiak called his quarterback "phenomenal with the operations and leadership," which is fair when the downfield throws keep landing.

The defense did the rest. Rookie cornerback Hezekiah Masses, starting with Darien Porter out with a foot injury, intercepted Justin Herbert twice, per the team's Levi Edwards. "I knew they were going to try to come at me being a rookie," Masses said afterward. Herbert finished 15 of 27 for 192 yards and was hit nine times.

The Chargers fumbled six times, Yahoo Sports reported, and the one that counted came with under four minutes left. Nakobe Dean knocked the ball loose from Omarion Hampton, Jeremy Chinn recovered, and Cousins found White for the touchdown that put it away. Las Vegas won the turnover battle 3-1, Yardbarker's recap shows.

Opinion: the ledger isn't clean. The running game produced little, and a team that wins on takeaways and explosive passes needs both columns to keep paying. Two turnovers from a rookie making a spot start are a gift, not a plan.

There was a cost. Rookie safety Treydan Stukes was ruled out with a concussion, CBS Sports reported, with Isaiah Pola-Mao taking over at free safety.

Next up is a trip to New Orleans on Sept. 27 for the Saints' home opener. Watch Stukes' progress through the concussion protocol and whether Porter is back, because the secondary just got thinner.