The Los Angeles Chargers beat the Las Vegas Raiders 20-9 on Monday night. A solid defensive performance topped off by a loud Jim Harbaugh were enough to do the trick.

The Chargers’ defense, led by coordinator Jesse Minter, completely shut down the Raiders’ offense, holding them to just three field goals and no touchdowns. They allowed only 218 total yards.

Linebacker Daiyan Henley was a star on defense.

On the very first play, he intercepted the ball. He also had 10 tackles, a sack, and broke up two passes. The Chargers’ defense defended a total of 15 passes, with eight different players helping out.

On the other hand, the Raiders’ quarterback Geno Smith had a rough night, tossing three interceptions while completing just 24 of 43 passes for 180 yards. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty also couldn’t find much rhythm, finishing with only 43 yards on the ground. Brock Browers, nursing a knee injury, was limited to five catches for 38 yards.

It’s common in sports for a losing team to look inward and point to mistakes rather than crediting the opponent, and the Raiders did just that.

As Levi Edwards of Raiders.com reported, both Jeanty and receiver Jakobi Meyers said the Chargers’ defense, “didn’t throw anything crazy at them other than the emphasis of keeping everything in front of them in Cover 2.”

Postgame, both players admitted they felt the Raiders “beat themselves as an offense tonight.”

The Raiders’ offense looked lost in their 20-9 loss to Los Angeles, marking just the second time in franchise history they’ve dropped four straight home openers.

“What that really feels like is a real missed opportunity, just in general,” coach Pete Carroll said. “We didn’t play well enough on the offensive side.”

But against Jim Harbaugh’s men, it was their own mistakes that struck at the worst possible moments.

The Raiders have themselves to blame

Geno Smith threw three interceptions — the sixth time in his career he’s had that many in a game — and finished with a 37.0 passer rating.

“Those are things that I have to learn from and be better at,” Smith said. “Anything that doesn’t look right out there, you put that on my feet, put that on my shoulders. I feel like I got to be a lot better for our guys. I know I have to, and I will be.”

Las Vegas’ defense kept the scoreline from spiraling, holding the Chargers within two possessions and forcing three fourth-quarter stops, but the offense failed to cash in.

Carroll admitted the lack of balance is alarming: “We’re going to have to run the football better, more effectively. We got to get more yards. I mean, 50 or 60 yards or something rushing, that’s not enough.”

Maxx Crosby echoed the need for cleaner execution, saying, “Every game is different. We had our chances, we just didn’t capitalize on them. It’s a team game, and we’ve got to keep getting better as a team and just play complementary football.”

Despite the setback, there was some perspective from inside the locker room. Jakobi Meyers, who caught six passes for 68 yards, stressed patience.

“We’re laying the foundation. It’s a bit early still, so we’re going to keep pushing. Honestly, it’s a long season, and if this defines our season, then we’d be in trouble. I think we’ll be fine.”

With a short week before a road trip to Washington, the Raiders must fix their offensive issues quickly. And while Tom Brady’s dual role as part-owner and Fox analyst grabbed attention again, Carroll insisted, “We have a tremendous asset … we’re lucky to have him as an owner.” For now, though, no broadcast booth insight will solve the Raiders’ self-inflicted wounds.