The Chargers kicked off the Jim Harbaugh era with a 22-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

What we learned about the team that still has a lot to prove under the new coaching staff:

Chargers remained on course on the ground

The Chargers averaged just 2.2 yards per carry in the first half, running the ball nine times against 13 passing attempts. The slow start didn’t deter the Chargers from pressing on with the running game, however, and it paid off with 176 yards on 27 carries that helped tie Justin Herbert’s 144 yards on 17-of-26 passing. It’s the Chargers’ most yards rushing since 233 in a loss to the Miami Dolphins in the 2023 season opener.

“(We’re) not just hitting a rock, but hitting in the passing game, hitting in general,” said running back JK Dobbins, who finished with 135 yards and one touchdown in 10 carries. “We keep fighting, keep believing, and eventually the rock will crack.”

Dobbins delivered the first big blow with a 47-yard run on the fourth play of the Chargers’ first drive of the third quarter. He scored his first touchdown in nearly a year on the first play of the fourth quarter and — after missing all but one of last season’s games with a torn Achilles tendon — Dobbins played a crucial role in the game-clinching 92-yard touchdown drive that sealed the victory.

Leading by six after the Raiders punted on fourth-and-1 with 7:09 remaining, offensive tackle Rashawn Slater asked Dobbins to carry the team home. The 25-year-old Houston native responded with a 61-yard run on the ensuing play.

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“He’s a dog,” Slater said.

After the long absence, Dobbins admitted that his fitness is not yet optimal. He lamented that he was chased by defenders on both long runs. Dobbins was one of several starters who did not play during the pre-season.

“We don’t care about stats, we don’t care about status,” Dobbins said. “We care about winning as a family.”

As training camp wore on and the season opener approached, Khalil Mack became less and less interested in what he and a healthy Joey Bosa could do on the perimeter. The All-Pro outside linebacker wanted to show it on tape.

The defensive stars sent a dazzling highlight reel through the league. Bosa tied for the team lead in tackles with seven and had a sack and a forced fumble in his first game since suffering a foot injury last November. Mack was equally dominant with three tackles, 1½ sacks, a fumble recovery and a tipped pass that resulted in an interception.

The effort, combined with a solid interior led by defensive tackles Poona Ford and Otito Ogbonnia, held the Raiders to 71 yards rushing in 22 carries. Bosa and Mack both restructured their contracts this spring, hoping their third season together would finally be the charm. While Sunday provided a promising glimpse, Bosa stressed that the full picture is not yet in view.

“I know I’ve won a lot of first games, and the season still hasn’t gone the way you’d hope,” Bosa said. “So I think 2-0 is much sweeter than 1-0.”

Receivers are a work in progress

The Chargers’ least proven unit became even more mysterious this week when receiver DJ Chark Jr. was placed on the injured list, sidelining a hip injury that will keep him out for at least four games. The seven-year pro who came to L.A. as a free agent from Jacksonville was the most experienced receiver on the roster.

In his place, rookie Ladd McConkey got a tryout as the Chargers’ leading receiver.

The 22-year-old from Georgia led the Chargers with five catches for 39 yards and one touchdown. McConkey, a second-round draft pick, stepped past two defenders in the fourth quarter to make his first NFL touchdown and secure the win.

“That’s what makes him so special, and that’s why we think so highly of him,” Herbert said of the wily receiver.

Read more: From player to coach, Jim Harbaugh brings a fighting spirit to his Chargers

Sophomore receiver Quentin Johnston had three catches on five targets and provided one of the rare offensive highlights of the first half with a 16-yard catch on third-and-25 that set up the Chargers for a long field goal.

Herbert, who missed two weeks of training camp with a foot injury, appears to still be working on his timing with the new group of receivers. He threw several passes behind their intended targets, including a throw that missed Joshua Palmer and was nearly intercepted.

“We know the games aren’t going to be perfect,” Palmer said. “We had some slumps in the first half. It’s about pushing through and not getting into trouble. Don’t get lost in your losses.”

Reporters Kevin Baxter and Anthony De Leon contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.