The Chargers defeated the New Orleans Saints, 26-8, at SoFi Stadium on Sunday to move above .500 approaching the mid-way point of the season.
What we learned from the victory, the Chargers now 4-3:
Ladd McConkey is a complete receiver
In his seventh career game, rookie receiver Ladd McConkey delivered two touchdowns and 111 yards receiving on six catches to become the first Chargers rookie to post a 100-yard receiving game since Keenan Allen in 2013.
The six-time Pro Bowler’s departure before this season because of 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 injured Derius Davis, hopes he is only beginning to fill Allen’s shoes with his first 100-yard game.
“Hopefully,” McConkey said, “I can get another one.”
Receiver Joshua Palmer has been 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.”
Read more: Justin Herbert wakes up Chargers’ offense with his arm and legs to defeat Saints
McConkey showed his shiftiness on a 60-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter when he spun around to high-point a perfectly placed pass from Herbert, shuffled his feet to make a defender miss, then outrun cornerback Alontae Taylor to the end zone.
The two-time national champion at Georgia was emerging as Herbert’s sure-handed short- and intermediate-route target, especially on third downs. With Davis (hamstring) and Quentin Johnston (ankle) out for the second consecutive game, McConkey — working through a hip injury this week — was able to provide the Chargers a much-needed deep threat.
“He’s sure been effective as an outside receiver, as a slot receiver,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “We’ve known that, and his ability to find the ball in contested catches is very special.”
Protect the quarterback
The play was over, but Bradley Bozeman’s job to protect the quarterback wasn’t.
When Saints defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd wrapped up Herbert’s right ankle and awkwardly twisted the quarterback to the turf, Bozeman jumped to his quarterback’s defense. The 317-pound offensive lineman lunged at Shepherd and pinned him to the ground, knocking the Saints defensive lineman’s helmet off in the process.
Drawing an off-setting penalty felt like a small price for Bozeman compared to just how valuable Herbert is to the Chargers.
“He knows that we have his back,” said Bozeman, who was called for a personal foul and described Shepherd’s play as “unacceptable.”
“When crappy plays like that happen and people take it too far, and they play dirty,” the center continued, “it’s important to have those guys’ back in those moments.”
Herbert, who has been nursing a sprained right ankle for more than a month, motioned about the transgression to the referee, who threw a flag for roughing the passer. Then Herbert quickly jumped in to pull Bozeman off the Saints defensive lineman.
Read more: 🏈 Chargers-Saints summary
“That’s the type of center that 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 address food insecurity.
When the Chargers practiced in Charlotte, N.C., for a week in September, he hosted the weekly offensive line and quarterback dinner at his home.
Although Harbaugh said he doesn’t encourage retaliation, he doesn’t blame Bozeman, either.
“That’s how they’re wired,” Harbaugh said. “Offensive linemen, they’re protectors, they’re healers, they’re forces for good.”
Special teams earns game ball?
The Chargers’ typically reliable special teams got off to a disastrous start Sunday. A 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 corral the loose ball and running back Hassan Haskins batted it out of the end zone to limit the damage to a safety.
Scott took responsibility for the miscommunication on the snap, explaining that when directional punting, he offsets to the opposite side of the intended kick direction.
“I just misinterpreted the communication,” Scott said. “We were supposed to be punting left 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 he was perfect on extra points during his first three seasons, Dicker pushed a kick wide left at the end of the second quarter, his second miss of the season.
Read more: Chargers take Jim Harbaugh’s sometimes comical words very seriously
“Kicking is the same rep as the one before,” Dicker said. “If I miss one, if I make one, it doesn’t matter. I’ve got to make the next one.”
After the miscue, Dicker rebounded by making his next two extra points and adding a 29-yard field goal, along with 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 made field goals, having converted 17 of 18 attempts (94.4%).
Scott still played a crucial role in controlling field position, pinning the Saints inside their 20-yard line on three of his six punts while averaging 57.3 yards per punt. Scott was recognized by teammates in the locker room as a game-ball recipient.
“[I] want to point out JK Scott, who had a tremendous game,” Harbaugh said, “not just a great game.”
After the difficult start to the game, Scott credited Harris for helping the specialists move past the roughest plays.
“There’s just the mentality of not finding your value and identity in one play,” Scott said. “Also, not getting down on yourself based on one play.”
“We just went back the next time, did our normal thing, forgot what lies behind and strained forward toward what lay ahead,” Scott added.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
