Derwin James: It feels different, but we have to show it on the field

The Chargers will face the Raiders in the first game of the Jim Harbaugh era, and it's hard to help but reflect on the impact the AFC West teams' last meeting had on Harbaugh's arrival in Los Angeles.

That meeting took place in Week 15 of last season, and the Raiders humiliated the Chargers 63-21 on the Chargers' home field. The Chargers fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco — who now has the same job with the Raiders — the next day, and Harbaugh was hired just over a month later.

Harbaugh has had the opportunity to make his mark on the team over the past seven-plus months, and safety Derwin James said the coach has the team “in a good position,” but added that the proof of that will have to come on the field.

“It definitely feels different because it’s new, everything is new to us”, said James about Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. “But none of that means anything. We have to go out there and play on Sunday. We have a game against the Raiders. It's a division game and we just have to go out there and play.”

Harbaugh has won every time he's coached, and the Chargers are banking on that continuing when he returns to the NFL. We'll find out on Sunday just how big his immediate impact was.