Raiders' Derek Carr Views Games at Chargers as Extra Home Contest: 'It's Just a Fact'

Derek Carr expects the Las Vegas Raiders to have plenty of fans for Monday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

"Whether it was in Los Angeles at that soccer stadium or at Qualcomm in San Diego, it was another home game," he told reporters. "You always looked at it as another home game and that was no disrespect, it's just a fact."

The reality for the Chargers is opposing teams that have big fanbases always make their presence known even when Los Angeles is technically the home team.

That was the case in Week 2 when the Dallas Cowboys visited, and it will likely be the case when the Raiders, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants visit later this season.

Carr knows this from playing inside the AFC West his entire career.

The Raiders used to play in Los Angeles from 1982 through 1994 before they moved back to Oakland, where they played from 1960 to 1981 and 1995 to 2019, and likely have plenty of fans in the area who remained loyal to the team even after it left.

Monday's contest will be an important one for more than just the scene in the crowd.

Las Vegas is 3-0 and tied with the Denver Broncos for first place in the division. The 2-1 Chargers are looking to make up some ground, and the 1-2 Chiefs are looming as a threat as the two-time defending AFC champions.

These showdowns will be critical in one of the league's most competitive divisions, especially as the Raiders and Chargers attempt to create some space between themselves and Kansas City in the early portion of the season.