There are certain players that just seem to dominate the LA Chargers. Whether it be a complete coincidence or something deeper than that, there are certain players who haunt Chargers fans before they go to sleep.
One of the more recent examples is running back Rex Burkhead. What makes it worse with Burkhead is the fact that he hasn't been a productive back in quite some time yet for some reason, he slices through the Chargers' defense like butter.
In 2022 Burkhead scored his only touchdown of the entire season against the Chargers in Week 4. In 2021 he had arguably the best game of his career, rushing for 149 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Houston Texans to an upset victory that essentially kept the Chargers from making the playoffs.
Without that horrible Week 16 loss the Chargers would have made the playoffs, regardless of what happened in Week 18 against the Las Vegas Raiders. To pay back the favor to Burkhead for the franchise's last playoff berth, the Raiders are giving Burkhead a chance to make the team, perhaps for the opportunity to curse the Chargers one last time.
The Raiders worked out free agent running backs Rex Burkhead and Damien Williams.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 1, 2023
Raiders work out two notorious Chargers killers at running back
Burkhead is not alone, though, as Damien Williams has also had success against the Chargers in the past as well. While Williams has not given the Chargers the same back-breaking loss that Burkhead has, he has had some of the best games of his entire career against the Bolts.
Williams had a huge game In the now-infamous two-point conversion win over the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018 when he picked up 123 yards from scrimmage with two touchdowns against the Chargers. The Chargers were able to hold him at bay the next time the two teams played in 2019 but in Week 17 of that very same season, Williams was able to rush for 124 yards (with 30 receiving yards) and two touchdowns.
Williams has had six games in his career with 100 yards from scrimmage and two have come against the Chargers. Williams has had four games in his career with two total touchdowns and three of those have come against the Chargers. He scored two touchdowns against the Bolts in 2016 as a member of the Miami Dolphins.
Is it a coincidence that the Raiders are working out two running backs with known success against the Chargers? Probably not. This is the same team that has taken every chance possible to sign a former Charger to the roster.