Now comes the intriguing part: figuring out whether opening Sunday offered an honest introduction to both teams or another reminder of how convincingly the NFL can lie to us in September.
asserted
NFL → come → September
Their meeting Sunday at SoFi Stadium should help clear that up.
Or make the whole thing even more interesting.
asserted
thing → help → that
Because if the Raiders leave their second home with a victory, they will take a 2-0 record back to Vegas while leaving the Chargers buried in an 0-2 hole.
asserted
they → leave → hole
And a division matchup that looked like a measuring-stick game for the Silver-and-Black would suddenly become the source of some uncomfortable questions for the Bolts.
asserted
that → look → Bolts
Nobody penciled in that particular role reversal.
But life moves fast in the NFL.
asserted
life → pencil → NFL
Sometimes, the team everyone expects to spend the season chasing gets a head start.
asserted
everyone → expect → start
Sometimes, the supposed contender discovers its reputation cannot block anybody.
asserted
reputation → suppose → anybody
The Raiders and Chargers have another three hours Sunday to tell us who they are.
asserted
they → have → us
The season-opening victory over the Dolphins offered evidence of an actual plan under new coach Klint Kubiak.
asserted
victory → open → Kubiak
Ashton Jeanty gave the offense someone to lean on.
asserted
Jeanty → give → someone
The short passing game helped move possessions along.
asserted
game → move → possessions
A defense that too often needed Maxx Crosby to supply the disruption produced five sacks with plenty of help from others.
asserted
Crosby → need → others
There was a sense of different parts working toward the same purpose.
asserted
parts → be → purpose
For a franchise that has spent too many seasons trying to assemble an identity, that qualified as a meaningful development.
asserted
that → spend → development
The Chargers will ask harder questions.
asserted
Chargers → ask → questions
Can Kirk Cousins complete enough passes downfield to keep a defense from suffocating everything underneath?
asserted
Cousins → complete → everything
Can the offensive line keep opening running lanes when the opponent makes stopping Jeanty its first priority?
asserted
stopping → keep → Jeanty
Can the defense pressure Justin Herbert without allowing him to turn its aggression into an explosive play?
asserted
him → pressure → play
Those are reasonable questions about a team still establishing what it’s capable of doing.
asserted
it → establish → what
The questions facing the Chargers carry a different tone.
asserted
questions → face → tone
Their opening loss to the Cardinals was disappointing because more was expected.
asserted
more → expect → Cardinals
They have the better roster in Sunday’s matchup.
asserted
They → have → matchup
They have the more dangerous quarterback.
asserted
They → have → quarterback
They were supposed to enter this game looking to reinforce their standing against a rebuilding division opponent.
asserted
They → suppose → opponent
Instead, they need to demonstrate that last week was an aberration.
asserted
week → need → ?
Their offensive line struggled to protect Herbert.
asserted
line → struggle → Herbert
Their defense failed to sufficiently disrupt an Arizona offense that used the run game and short passing attack to get what it needed.
asserted
it → fail → what
Now here comes Kubiak with Jeanty and an offense comfortable working along similar lines.
asserted
Kubiak → come → lines
The blueprint is sitting right there.
asserted
blueprint → sit → ?
Of course, Chargers defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary has a copy, too.
asserted
O’Leary → have → copy
That is what makes Sunday more compelling than simply asking whether the Raiders can repeat what worked against Miami.
asserted
what → make → Miami
The Chargers have spent the week studying their own failures and the Raiders’ successes.
asserted
Chargers → spend → failures
They will have adjustments ready.
asserted
adjustments → have → ?
Kubiak needs answers to those adjustments.
asserted
Kubiak → need → adjustments
If the Chargers crowd the line of scrimmage and close the underneath windows, Cousins has to make them pay somewhere else.
asserted
them → crowd → windows
Taking a shot downfield is only useful if there is a reasonable chance of completing it.
asserted
Taking → take → it
Eventually, the Raiders need those throws to become production.
asserted
throws → need → ?
They also need Cousins to stop giving possessions away.
asserted
Cousins → need → possessions
His two turnovers against Miami did not prevent a victory.
asserted
turnovers → prevent → victory
Against Herbert, the Raiders might not get away with being nearly so generous.
uncertain
Raiders → get → Herbert
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
