5 causes for concern for Chargers against the Raiders in Week 2

The rivalry between the Chargers and Raiders has a new dimension to it this season.

Las Vegas hired longtime Jim Harbaugh foe Pete Carroll this offseason, reigniting one of the West Coast's best coaching rivalries. The two men are currently locked in a 6-6 tie in 12 matchups between the NFL and college football.

Here are a few reasons to be pessimistic about Harbaugh's chances to take the lead on Monday.

Missing starters

The Chargers will be without two starters on defense, as safety Elijah Molden and linebacker Denzel Perryman were both ruled out on Saturday. In their place will be either RJ Mickens or Tony Jefferson and Troy Dye, all three of whom are primarily special teamers who will be thrust into defensive action on Monday. Dye and Jefferson have stabilized those roles in Jesse Minter's defense before, but if LA leans on Mickens on the back end, it could be a bit rocky as the rookie adjusts to the NFL on the fly.

Matchup Maxx

LA was able to neutralize Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby last season because Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt were both high-end tackles. Slater is out for the season with a torn patellar tendon, which has kicked Alt to the left side and reinserted Trey Pipkins III into the lineup at right tackle. Crosby has always moved around the line to work the more advantageous matchup, which likely means he'll be pitted against Pipkins for the majority of Monday's game.

Run defense

The Chargers had a bit of a hard time getting the run game going in Brazil last week, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry against the Chiefs. Las Vegas has a similar caliber of run defense, including defensive tackle Adam Butler, who flashed against LA multiple times last season and had a strong Week 1.

Offensive momentum

Greg Roman called his best game as a Chargers coach last week, but the challenge is now whether or not that offensive genius will continue as the season goes on. Especially if the run game cannot get going again, the Chargers will rely on another strong passing game from Justin Herbert and his weapons on Monday. If Quentin Johnston doesn't replicate his breakthrough performance from last week or if Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen have a bit of a harder time getting open, things on offense could start to sputter.

Carrollball

While Harbaugh and Carroll are tied in their lifetime series, Carroll has a slight 5-4 edge in the duo's NFL matchups. Regarded as one of the best defensive coaches of the 2000s, Carroll's teams always play defense-first football that drags opponents down to their level, regardless of the talent level of the two squads. After giving up only 13 points to the Patriots in Week 1, Las Vegas will no doubt be motivated to replicate or better that performance on Monday.

This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: 5 reasons why the Chargers could lose to the Raiders: Week 2 concerns