> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.poorsportsmanship.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# The Raiders Are Good. The Chargers Suck. Nothing Makes Sense.
- URL: https://www.poorsportsmanship.net/the-raiders-are-good-the-chargers-suck-nothing-makes-sense/
- Published: 2026-10-09T03:28:02.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-09T03:35:35.000Z
- Description: The Raiders are winning, JSN is ridiculous, and the Chargers are 0–4. Five takeaways from the NFL’s first month.
- Author: Ben Fairly
- Tags: NFL

We’re four weeks into the NFL season, and the Raiders have more wins than my fantasy team. Brock Purdy hasn’t been sacked, JSN won’t stop scoring, and the Chargers are already making their fans miserable. Let’s get into it.

## 1\. The Chargers suck and it’s kind of hilarious.

The Los Angeles Chargers have opened the 2026 season in the worst possible way: 0–4 and outscored 104–67\. The little brothers of LA are averaging just 16.75 points per game. I thought this was supposed to be the year for the Chargers! They hired Mike McDaniel, vape lord and supposedly a football wizard. No. They are 0–4.

Oh, my name’s Justin Herbert, I’m dating Madison Beer, ooooh. Whatever, bro. Your football season has sucked mega Shaquille O’Neal-sized dong. [Herbie has been sacked 12 times](https://www.chargers.com/team/stats/?ref=poorsportsmanship.net) and thrown more interceptions than touchdowns—six picks against four scores. Doesn’t sound fun. According to PFF, [Herbert ranks dead last among 33 qualified quarterbacks](https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/justin-herbert/28237?ref=poorsportsmanship.net) in both overall grade (44.7) and passing grade (42.7), with the third-most interceptions. Not an ideal start to the season for the former Oregon standout.

Herbert deserves plenty of blame, but look at the mess around him. The receiving corps hasn’t helped, and now the offensive line is falling apart. He’s been sacked on 9.2% of his passing dropbacks, and the Chargers [lost both Rashawn Slater (ankle) and Joe Alt (neck)](https://www.chargers.com/news/injury-updates-rashawn-slater-joe-alt-ladd-mcconkey?ref=poorsportsmanship.net) during last week’s game against Seattle. [Their leading receiver, somehow Tre Harris, hasn’t scored a touchdown yet.](https://www.chargers.com/team/stats/?ref=poorsportsmanship.net) Every time RedZone flips to a Chargers game, I feel like I’m watching Quentin Johnston turn his brain off the second he steps onto the field. Ladd McConkey looks like an uncool Hunter Renfrow, and now he’s dealing with a rib injury. Chargers fans, I’m sorry. Not really.

Against Seattle last week, the Chargers won the yardage battle, 301–286, and held the ball longer, 30:59–29:01\. Still lost 30–23\. I’d say there’s nowhere to go but up, but I’ve watched enough Chargers football to know better.

## 2\. Jaxson Smith-Ngjiba is the #1 wide receiver and #2 isn’t close.

Somehow, JSN entered this season with football fans still finding reasons to doubt him. The Ohio State product quickly reminded everyone that he’s WR1, and it really isn’t close. Through four games, he has [32 catches for 481 yards and a league-leading six receiving touchdowns](https://www.seahawks.com/team/stats/?ref=poorsportsmanship.net). That’s eight catches and 120.3 yards per game. Absolutely ridiculous.

His case goes beyond the touchdowns. He commands a [36.52% target share](https://sumersports.com/players/fb5e866/jaxon-smith-njigba/?ref=poorsportsmanship.net)—more than one in three of Seattle’s targets goes his way. His [4.15 yards per route run](https://sumersports.com/players/fb5e866/jaxon-smith-njigba/?ref=poorsportsmanship.net) is a 15.3% increase over last year’s 3.60\. Seattle keeps feeding him, and he keeps turning those opportunities into more production. According to [PFF](https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/jaxon-smith-njigba/129758?ref=poorsportsmanship.net), his 92.3 receiving grade ranks first among 85 qualifying wide receivers.

God bless anyone who landed JSN with the sixth or seventh pick in their fantasy draft. His receiving numbers alone translate to 116.1 PPR points through four games—29.0 per week. Take away all six touchdowns, and he’s still giving you 20.0 points a game. That’s how ridiculous the volume is. JSN is well on his way to back-to-back OPOY.

> JSN you are so perfect [pic.twitter.com/cqTWXkgmKi](https://t.co/cqTWXkgmKi?ref=poorsportsmanship.net)
> 
> — Billy M (@BillyM\_91) [September 20, 2026](https://x.com/BillyM%5F91/status/2101771350377435510?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=poorsportsmanship.net)

## 3\. The ref’s are performing at an all-time bad.

It’s been the ref show so far in 2026\. Penalties have been thrown at an alarming rate and things just seem a bit fishy, especially in prime time games. NFL games have produced [963 accepted penalties for 7,665 yards](https://nflpenalties.com/?ref=poorsportsmanship.net)—15.05 penalties per game. That’s up from [919 through the same stretch last year and 846 in 2024](https://www.rotowire.com/football/article/most-penalized-nfl-teams-95950?ref=poorsportsmanship.net), increases of 4.8% and 13.8%, respectively. [Week 4 alone had 271 accepted penalties for 2,076 yards.](https://www.rotowire.com/football/article/most-penalized-nfl-teams-95950?ref=poorsportsmanship.net)

The most consequential example came in the Rams–Broncos game in Week 3\. Don’t get me going about this. This was the game that made me genuinely believe the NFL is rigged. Los Angeles led 26–23 when Josh Wallace intercepted Bo Nix on third-and-6 late in the fourth quarter. Defensive pass interference erased the interception and extended Denver’s drive. It very clearly wasn’t a defensive PI. The Broncos scored the winning touchdown six plays later and won 30–26\. Sean McVay subsequently said the NFL told him the flag should not have been thrown, according to [the report on his statement](https://www.si.com/nfl/nfl-admits-refs-were-wrong-controversial-call-broncos-rams-per-sean-mcvay?ref=poorsportsmanship.net).

The problems haven’t been limited to calls. The NFL suspended two officials after separate incidents with players in Week 4\. Jeff Seeman received a two-game suspension after telling Trey McBride to go F himself following a disputed no-call. Kind of hilarious. Adrian Hill received a one-game suspension after confronting Eric Wilson following an accidental collision. Both were suspended for unprofessional conduct, according to [the NFL](https://amp.nfl.com/news/nfl-suspends-two-officials-unprofessional-conduct-with-players-week-4?ref=poorsportsmanship.net).

The NFL is heading in the wrong direction with hows the referees have performed this season. The fans don’t like to see this soft calls called on their own team. It is something that can easily be resolved but the NFL seems to refuse to make a fix. I wonder why…

> This was called defensive pass interference instead of an interception for the Rams 🤔 [pic.twitter.com/xGOfie2eQw](https://t.co/xGOfie2eQw?ref=poorsportsmanship.net)
> 
> — Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) [September 28, 2026](https://x.com/ActionNetworkHQ/status/2104415673413689678?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=poorsportsmanship.net)

## 4\. The 49ers have the best offensive line in the league and it might help Brock Purdy win the MVP.

Brock Purdy, of all people, is making a serious case for NFL MVP four weeks into the season. He’s thrown for [1,007 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception](https://www.49ers.com/team/stats/?ref=poorsportsmanship.net) while completing 69.9% of his passes. He’s averaging 8.91 yards per attempt with a 126.2 passer rating. His offensive line deserves plenty of credit for that success. Purdy has been sacked zero—yes, zero—times this season.

[PFF ranks San Francisco’s offensive line fifth in the NFL](https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-offensive-line-rankings-2026?ref=poorsportsmanship.net), up three spots after Week 4\. Trent Williams remains an animal, earning an 80.7 overall grade while allowing just five pressures. Dominick Puni has allowed four pressures and owns an 84.2 pass-blocking grade. Having Williams protect your blind side is great. Having Puni hold up inside means Purdy can actually step into his throws instead of stepping directly into a 300-pound man.

Purdy is making that protection count. According to [PFF](https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-quarterback-rankings?ref=poorsportsmanship.net), he leads the league in expected points added per play at 0.550\. Basically, he’s getting more scoring value out of each play than any other quarterback. He also has the lowest negatively graded play rate among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks, at just 4.8%. He’s making plays without giving defenses much to work with.

San Francisco is 4–0, Purdy is dropping dimes, and the Niner gang is rolling. There are still 13 games left, but this is how an MVP season starts. Those of us who spent three years calling him a system quarterback are starting to look like we watch football with the TV off. Me included.

> 2026 Brock Purdy so far...  
>  
> Purdy has San Francisco at 4-0 and firmly in the early MVP conversation. [https://t.co/6BPzp3F9Dw](https://t.co/6BPzp3F9Dw?ref=poorsportsmanship.net) [pic.twitter.com/UV4jwgw1cD](https://t.co/UV4jwgw1cD?ref=poorsportsmanship.net)
> 
> — Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) [October 5, 2026](https://x.com/NFLPerformances/status/2107095010084884632?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=poorsportsmanship.net)

## 5\. The Raiders are good? What the hell is going on?

The Las Vegas Raiders are 3–1\. They matched their entire win total from last season in three games, and their only loss came by three points against undefeated Kansas City. Klint Kubiak has these guys playing actual football. They’ve scored at least 26 points in every game and own a +31 point differential.

Kirk Cousins is a huge reason why. The 38-year-old has made a resurgence this season, throwing for [1,026 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions](https://www.raiders.com/team/stats/?ref=poorsportsmanship.net) with a 99.5 passer rating. His 11 touchdown passes are tied with Purdy for the league lead. Against Kansas City, he threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns without taking a sack, despite being pressured on 34.6% of his dropbacks. The Raiders lost, but their quarterback gave them a chance against one of the best teams in football.

Brock Bowers has been a freak of nature. After missing the first two games with a knee injury, he returned with 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown against New Orleans, then caught six passes for 86 yards and another score against Kansas City. That’s [202 yards and two touchdowns in two games](https://www.raiders.com/team/stats/?ref=poorsportsmanship.net).

The biggest concern, though, is their own running game. According to [Bucky Brooks’ breakdown](https://www.raiders.com/news/bucky-s-breakdown-why-fixing-the-run-game-should-be-the-raiders-most-urgent-priority?ref=poorsportsmanship.net), the Raiders’ 3.1 yards per carry and 24.4% run-stuffed rate are both league-worst. Their 93 rushing yards per game and 32.8% rushing success rate are bottom-five. Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington combined for just 76 yards on 24 carries against Kansas City.

That’s what makes this start worth paying attention to. Kubiak has the Raiders winning without the dependable rushing attack his offense needs. Cousins is producing, Bowers is back, and the defense has shown it can make plays. There’s plenty to fix, but we’re discussing how Las Vegas can make the playoffs instead of who it should fire.

The Raiders are competent, Purdy might win MVP, and drafting JSN is apparently all it takes to be good at fantasy football. There’s plenty of season left for all of this to fall apart. Except the Chargers. They got a head start.