The Las Vegas Chargers Week 4 matchup with their AFC West rival Las Angeles Chargers is a massive game in the division. Both teams are 1-2, and the team that wins will likely have a shot to challenge for the playoffs, while the team that loses will be in serious trouble. Ahead of the Raiders-Chargers game, let’s make some bold Raiders Week 4 predictions.

The Raiders are struggling in 2023. They beat the Denver Broncos in Week 1, which was a big division win, but after Sean Payton and company lost by 50 last week, the Raiders' one-point win doesn’t look as good. Losses to the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers followed, and now the Raiders head into Week 4 without knowing whether Jimmy Garoppolo will play, as he was still in concussion protocol Friday before the game.

The good news is that the Chargers have looked equally as shaky through three weeks. Losses to the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans kicked off their season before they finally got a win in Week 3 against the winless Minnesota Vikings. While Justin Herbert has played well so far, almost no player or coach can say the same thing on a consistent basis.

This should be a fascinating game between two flawed teams trying to find themselves in the 2023 campaign. With that in mind, let’s move on to the bold Raiders Week 4 predictions.

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3. Aidan O’Connell gets his first NFL run

Jimmy Garoppolo is still in concussion protocol on Friday ahead of the Raiders’ Week 4 Sunday matchup with the Chargers. This is not a good sign for him playing this weekend. There is still time for him to clear the steps of concussion protocol, but at this point, it seems relatively unlikely he will play.

Whether Jimmy G plays or not, the first bold Raiders Week 4 prediction is that rookie fourth-round pick out of Purdue, Aidan O’Connell, sees his first NFL action against the Chargers.

If Garoppolo can’t go against Los Angeles, it seems as though head coach Josh McDaniels will start 15-year veteran NFL backup Brian Hoyer, who will be 12 days shy of his 38th birthday on Sunday.

However, O’Connell played incredibly well in the preseason, and while that doesn’t automatically equal real NFL success, it’s a promising note. The 6-foot-3 signal-caller is a pure pocket passer who has no scrambling ability. In the modern NFL, that’s a problem, which is why he fell to the 135th pick.

That said, O’Connell can sling it, he’s smart, and he has composure in the pocket (along with a little more in-pocket mobility than he gets credit for). Whether Hoyer starts or Garoppolo starts and plays poorly or gets hurt again, this Sunday will be O’Connell Time in LA.

2. Josh Jacobs gets on track

One of the biggest reasons the Raiders are 29th in points scored this season is that after holding out nearly all of training camp, running back Josh Jacobs looks like a shell of his former self.

Last season, Jacobs was arguably the best back in the league, leading the NFL in rushing yards (1,653) yards per game (97.2), total touches (393) and yards from scrimmage (2,053). This season, he’s not even close to that pace.

Through three games, Jacobs had 45 carries for 108 yards. That’s just 2.4 yards per attempt. He does have 10 catches for 92 yards, but the Pro Bowl back has yet to score a touchdown by any means. In Week 2, he put up an absolutely embarrassing stat line of nine carries for -2 yards.

Maybe Jacobs is rusty. Maybe he’s a little out of shape. And maybe the runner and his offensive line haven’t gelled yet. No matter what the reason, Jacobs’ vacation is over, and Las Vegas needs him to get it in gear.

Without Jacobs playing well, the Raiders have little chance of scoring over 20 points for the first time this season, and an even slimmer chance of winning. The bold Raiders prediction for Week 4, though, is that Jacobs finally gets it in gear against the Chargers' middle-of-the-pack run defense and goes for over 100 yards.

1. Raiders 23, Chargers 31

This game will be a turning point for the Raiders, but they won’t walk away with the win. There is still too much drama surrounding the team, too many question marks at key positions, and too many head-scratching decisions by Josh McDaniels, like kicking a field goal down eight with just over two minutes to go against the Steelers.

Brandon Staley is no Vince Lombardi either, but with the way Justin Herbert is playing right now, it’s hard not to think that gives the Chargers the advantage.

While the Raiders won’t win in Week 4, Aidan O’Connell, Josh Jacobs, and maybe a few other Raiders will play well enough to give the fans hope and maybe even start to turn things around in Week 5 against the Packers.