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Chargers Complete Week 1 Prep for Season Opener

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It's almost game time.

After a long offseason, the Chargers will take the field Sunday in their regular season opener against the Raiders.

Here's a breakdown of news ahead of Week 1:

Monday

Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco met with local beat writers to give his assessment on where the Bolts are at ahead of the 2022 season.

Tuesday

The team announced their unofficial depth chart heading into Week 1. On Wednesday, Head Coach Brandon Staley announced the eight captains that will don the "C" on their jerseys for the 2022 season — Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, Corey Linsley, Derwin James, Jr., Khalil Mack, Sebastian Joseph-Day and Joey Bosa.

"Being a captain on an NFL football team, I can't imagine a higher honor," said Staley. "The few people who do get to play in this league and what that shield represents, all the people that have come before them — captains on other teams, captains on this team — and it's voted on by their teammates, and that's something that's sacred to me."

"Growing up the son of a coach, I think it's the highest achievement that you can receive from your teammates," he added.

Sunday marks the first time the Bolts will host the Raiders to start a season. With most starters sitting out during the preseason, it will be the first opportunity to see the new additions in a game together. It will also be the first time the Chargers will play since their season-ending Week 18 loss to these same Raiders.

Check out the best photos from the Chargers Friday practice at Hoag Performance Center.

Wednesday

With many new additions on both sides of the ball, both Staley and James don't carry any extra feelings heading into this game.

"It just happened a long time ago. A long, long time ago," Staley said. "Everything is different about right now. Everything. It's about this week and pouring our team into this week of preparation and treating this week like it has a life of its own. I'm really excited to go get into game week with this group."

"For guys like Khalil Mack, [Joseph-Day], they didn't get to feel that feeling that I felt in Week 18. Our whole mindset is that we are a new team, the 2022 Chargers. We're just trying to go out there and compete versus the Raiders," added James.

The Raiders will enter SoFi with an overhaul of coaching staff compared to when they visited in 2021. With new head coach Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, there will be an added element of uncertainty on what the Bolts will see on both sides of the ball.

Thursday

Chargers Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi talked about what they team can do to adjust with that on the fly.

"You want to go out there and run plays that your guys are comfortable with that they feel like they can find answers and start getting the feel as the game goes on and ready to make adjustments as you see how it's different," said Lombardi.

Defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill also talked about how quickly these adjustments would have to be done.

"We have to make sure we do a good job of trying to move the down around, and once the game is taking place, we have to be able to make early adjustments," said Hill. "Sometimes you try to wait until halftime, and it may be too late."

"We have to do a good job of making sure that we're locked in, whether it is coaches on the field or people up in the box so we can make those adjustments, so we can play the scheme that we're going to see," Hill added.

Friday

Both Mack and quarterback Justin Herbert expressed their excitement to almost be at the end of the offseason road.

"It's been a while since I've been able to play football," said Mack. "I think it got cut short around Week 7 last year. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be fun."

"It's exciting. We've spent a lot of time this offseason getting prepared for this week and we're going to do everything we can to work on a good protection plan, timing with the receivers. It's exciting to finally be back at it," added Herbert.

Odds and Ends

Videos of the Week

All In | Episode 2

The second episode of 'All In' titled 'Football 202' gives an all-access look into players and coaches and how they approach the details day in and day out. Go behind the scenes to see what the Chargers say about a dominant mindset, Justin Herbert's next step and how head coach Brandon Staley's passion for tennis relates to the Bolts.

Campin' Out | Brandon Staley

In the latest episode of Campin' Out, Sebastian Joseph-Day welcomes head coach Brandon Staley to talk about his journey to become a head coach in the NFL and how it led him to this point.

Playmakers Podcast | Shannon Farren

Sideline reporter Shannon Farren joins Hayley Elwood on the latest edition of Playmakers podcast to discuss the Week 1 matchup with the Raiders, Justin Herbert in his third year and the feel around the team.

Chargers Weekly | Trent Green

CBS Sports' Trent Green joins Matt "Money" Smith and Chris Hayre on this week's episode of Chargers Weekly to preview Chargers vs. Raiders, matchups to watch and Justin Herbert's development.

Tweets of the Week

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