Raiders vs. Chargers: What the 26–14 Result Means Before the Rematch

The first answer is simple: Las Vegas won 26–14

The Raiders beat the Chargers 26–14 at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, September 20, 2026. The NFL Game Center shows a game that stayed close for most of the afternoon: Las Vegas led 10–7 at halftime and 17–14 after three quarters before scoring nine points in the fourth quarter while Los Angeles scored none.

That scoring pattern changes how the final margin should be read. A 12-point win looks comfortable in the final line, but the Raiders did not separate until late. The more useful takeaway is that Las Vegas finished the game better than Los Angeles, rather than controlling every phase from the opening kickoff.

The key detail was not only the final score

The official Raiders recap reports that Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes and that Las Vegas forced multiple turnovers, including two interceptions by rookie Hezekiah Masses. The recap also records the win as the Raiders’ first in Los Angeles since 2020 and moves Las Vegas to 2–0.

Together, those details offer a better lens than the score alone. The Raiders’ advantage came from late scoring and disruptive defensive plays. That does not prove they will dominate the rest of the season, but it does identify the part of this matchup that Los Angeles must solve before the teams meet again.

Why the December rematch is a different test

The Raiders’ official schedule lists the next meeting for Sunday, December 13, 2026, when the Chargers visit the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. CBS is listed for the game.

The venue reverses the setting from the first meeting: Los Angeles hosted in September, while Las Vegas will host in December. That makes the rematch a test of repeatability, not a replay. The Chargers will have to prevent the kind of late separation and takeaways recorded in Week 2; the Raiders will have to show that their fourth-quarter finish was more than a one-game swing.

For readers searching “Raiders vs. Chargers,” the clean answer is therefore two-part: Las Vegas won the first 2026 meeting, 26–14, but the series remains open until the December game in Las Vegas.