Chargers defeated the New Orleans Saints26-8, at SoFi Stadium on Sunday to surpass .500 heading into the midseason.
What we learned from victory, chargers now 4-3:
Ladd McConkey is a complete receiver
In his seventh career game, rookie receiver Ladd McConkey had two touchdowns and 111 yards on six catches to become the first Chargers rookie to have a 100-yard receiving game since Keenan Allen in 2013.
The six-time Pro Bowler’s departure before this season due to salary cap issues has left a major hole in the Chargers’ offense that is averaging just 17.8 points per game.
McConkey, who also returned punts Sunday in place of the injured Derius Davis, hopes he’s only starting to replace Allen with his first 100-yard game.
“I hope I can get another one,” McConkey said.
Receiver Joshua Palmer was impressed with McConkey’s progress and praised his knack for making defenders miss.
“Ladd is a little ball of fire,” said Palmer, who had two catches for 45 yards. “When you see him get the ball, you don’t really know what’s going to happen.”
Learn more: Justin Herbert wakes up the Chargers offense with his arm and legs to defeat the Saints
McConkey showed his sneakiness on a 60-yard touchdown run in the third quarter when he turned to score a perfectly placed pass from Herbert, mixed his feet to make a defender miss, then outran the cornerback Alontae Taylor to the end zone.
The two-time national champion from Georgia became Herbert’s sure target on the short and intermediate courses, especially on third downs. With Davis (hamstring) and Quentin Johnston (ankle) out for the second straight game, McConkey — dealing with a hip injury this week — was able to provide the Chargers with a much-needed deep threat.
“He’s definitely been effective as an outside receiver, as a slot receiver,” the coach said. Jim Harbaugh said. “We know that, and his ability to find the ball on contested catches is very special.”
Protect the Quarterback
The play was over, but Bradley Bozeman’s job of protecting the quarterback was not.
When Saints defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd wrapped Herbert’s right ankle and awkwardly twisted the quarterback onto the turf, Bozeman jumped to its quarterback’s defense. The 317-pound offensive lineman lunged at Shepherd and tackled him to the ground, knocking off the Saints defensive lineman’s helmet.
Drawing a compensatory penalty seemed like a small price to Bozeman compared to Herbert’s value to the Chargers.
“He knows we support him,” said Bozeman, who was booked for a personal foul and called Shepherd’s play “unacceptable.”
“When crappy plays like that happen and people go too far and play poorly,” the center continued, “it’s important to have the support of those guys in those moments.”
Herbert, who has been nursing a sprained right ankle for more than a month, reported the transgression to the referee, who threw a flag for roughing the passer. Then Herbert quickly moved in to take Bozeman away from the Saints defensive lineman.
Learn more: 🏈 Chargers-Saints summary
“He’s the type of center you want on your team,” Herbert said. “He will give everything for this team.”
Bozeman, a seven-year pro who spent the previous two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, is known more around the league for his genial nature. He and his wife Nikki Bozeman started a foundation to combat bullying and combat food insecurity.
When the Chargers practiced in Charlotte, North Carolina, for a week in September, he hosted the offensive line and quarterback’s weekly dinner at his home.
While Harbaugh said he doesn’t encourage retaliation, he also doesn’t blame Bozeman.
“That’s how they’re wired,” Harbaugh said. “Offensive linemen, they are protectors, they are healers, they are forces of good.”
Do special teams win the ball?
The Chargers’ usually reliable special teams got off to a disastrous start Sunday. Miscommunication between punter JK Scott and long snapper Josh Harris led to a safety on the Chargers’ second offensive drive, giving the Saints an early 2-0 lead.
Harris fired the snap wide to Scott’s right. The punter couldn’t recover the loose ball and running back Hassan Haskins punched it out of the end zone to limit the damage to a safety.
Scott took responsibility for the miscommunication during the snap, explaining that during a directional punt, he shifts to the opposite side of the intended direction of the kick.
“I just misinterpreted the communication,” Scott said. “We were supposed to go on a boat there, and I was lined up [left]. I just misunderstood the communication.
The Chargers tied their season high in scoring, but could have set a new mark if not for a missed extra point by Cameron Dicker. After being perfect on extra points in his first three seasons, Dicker pushed a kick wide left late in the second quarter, his second miss of the season.
Learn more: Chargers take Jim Harbaugh’s sometimes comical remarks very seriously
“The kicks are the same as before,” Dicker said. “If I miss one, if I make one, it doesn’t matter. I have to do the next one.
After the mistake, Dicker bounced back by scoring his next two extra points and adding a 29-yard field goal, as well as the 46-yarder he hit before the missed PAT.
Dicker, who scored all 15 of the Chargers’ points against the Arizona Cardinals, is currently tied for fifth in the NFL in field goals, having converted 17 of 18 attempts (94.4%).
Scott has always played a crucial role in controlling field position, putting the Saints inside their 20-yard line on three of his six punts while averaging 57.3 yards per punt . Scott was recognized by his teammates in the locker room as the recipient of the match ball.
“[I] I want to highlight JK Scott, who had a great game,” Harbaugh said, “not just a great game.”
After a rough start to the match, Scott credited Harris for helping the specialists overcome the toughest plays.
“There’s just the mentality of not finding your value and your identity in one room,” Scott said. “Also, don’t get down on yourself based on one game.”
“We just came back the next time, did our usual job, forgot what was behind and pushed forward toward what was ahead of us,” Scott added.
This story was originally published in Los Angeles Times.
