What I see from the Los Angeles Chargers: Ladd McConkey emerges as WR1

Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz made a conscious decision this offseason to turn over their wide receiver group. They traded Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears. They released Mike Williams. They signed three new players, free agent DJ Chark and draft picks Ladd McConkey and Brenden Rice.

These decisions created a rather pressing question at the start of the season: In this reshuffled and largely unproven group, who would step up?

In four games, McConkey has established himself as the receiver most capable of filling the void. The rookie leads the Chargers in receptions and receiving yards. He caught five passes on seven targets for 67 yards and a touchdown in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, the most productive game of his young career.

McConkey is the team’s best route runner and separator, and his relationship with quarterback Justin Herbert has only grown each week.

“Nothing but respect for the way he plays,” Harbaugh said of McConkey, a second-round pick in April. “He’s a devotee there. He’s one of those guys.

Replacing all of Allen and Williams’ production will be impossible, and the Chargers have struggled in the passing game through four weeks. They rank 31st in passing yards per game.

As is often the case when diagnosing problems in football, several factors come into play in the Chargers’ passing game. The Chargers are dealing with injuries to several position groups. Herbert hasn’t been close to 100 percent since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 2. Left tackle Rashawn Slater (strained pec) has been out since midway through a team loss. week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Right tackle Joe Alt (knee) missed last week’s loss to the Chiefs. Pass protection struggled with Slater and Alt sidelined.

Chark has also been on injured reserve all season with a hip injury, and the Chargers missed his stretch on the field outside the numbers.

Some of the low-pass production is also intentional. Harbaugh wants to establish the running game, and he and offensive coordinator Greg Roman have followed through on that intent with their game planning and play calling.

Even so, it’s clear the Chargers need more from their passing attack. McConkey ranks 12th in targets per route run among receivers with at least 10 targets, according to TruMedia. Giving McConkey even more opportunities could help. He’s been very effective this season, ranking 13th in first downs per route, according to TruMedia.

McConkey is an asset that can attack a defense in a variety of ways. So far, he’s been used primarily as a slot receiver, playing 63.3 percent of his snaps inside, according to TruMedia. He is very effective in this alignment, where he generally has dual direction, meaning the ability to cut inside or outside. His running route shines in these areas.

McConkey also has considerable explosiveness after the catch. He showed it on his 37-yard catch and run against the Chiefs. McConkey won on an inclined course. Herbert hit him. McConkey then beat safety Bryan Cook to the edge and turned what should have been a 15-yard gain into the Chargers’ longest offensive play of the game.

Earlier in the game, McConkey caught a touchdown from Herbert that showed the trust building between the two players. McConkey was covered in the back of the end zone by Cook on a red zone snap. Herbert eagerly threw inwards. McConkey made a huge adjustment, caught the pass and took a knee for the score.

the boy is different pic.twitter.com/F85648YXmy

– Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) October 1, 2024

This is the type of throw Herbert was making to Allen and Williams. Herbert thought these two could play in tight windows and coverage. This same belief begins to develop with McConkey.

“He does everything you can ask,” Harbaugh said of McConkey.

The Key to Better Run Defense

Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is leading an impressive turnaround on his side of the ball.

One of the biggest changes so far has been the run defense. From 2021 to 2023, the Chargers have consistently been one of the worst run defenses in the league. Over those three seasons, the Chargers ranked 31st in expected points added per run on designed defense, according to TruMedia. They rank last in defensive success rate.

Through four games this season, the Chargers are first in EPA per designed run and third in success rate.

Defensive tackle Poona Ford is at the heart of that improvement.

Ford was effectively out of the rotation with the Buffalo Bills last season. He only played eight games. The Chargers have identified Ford as a potential low-cost, high-reward free agent who could provide some depth on the interior. He signed a one-year contract worth $1.79 million to come to Los Angeles. And he has significantly outperformed that contract in four games.

Ford brought consistent physicality against the run. It’s just hard to move. He can withstand double teams. He is active in getting rid of blocks and creating penetration. Ford looks like a player with something to prove.

By establishing the foundation at the line of scrimmage, Ford elevates the front seven as a whole. Fellow interior defensive linemen Morgan Fox and Otito Ogbonnia get more support. Off-ball edge players and linebackers can be more aggressive in attacking running backs. As a result, Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, Daiyan Henley and Denzel Perryman all made plays.

Ford is the unsung champion of an unsung interior defensive line unit.

“We want to be part of the group that people talk about when they talk about this team,” Fox said earlier this season. “They talk about the edges, our DB room, everyone is great, our linebackers. But we want to be people they talk about. …Let’s make people feel us when they watch the tape. When they see the tape, they look at line D and say, “This line D is playing.” No matter who participates, from fifth to first, we’re going to play ball.

Ryan Ficken’s best coaching job?

Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken is in his third season with the Chargers. He and assistant special teams coach Chris Gould were two of four coaches Harbaugh retained from last year’s staff.

In his first two seasons, Ficken significantly improved the Chargers in this phase. In 2021, the Chargers ranked 28th in EPA special teams, according to TruMedia. In 2022, Ficken’s first year with the team, the Chargers ranked 11th. In 2023, the Chargers ranked sixth.

On paper, it might seem like the Chargers have taken a step back on special teams in 2024. They rank 15th in EPA special teams through four games, according to TruMedia. But in reality, this might be Ficken’s best coaching job yet.

The Chargers’ special teams have been plagued by injuries this season. On cutdown day in August, the Chargers placed linebacker Nick Niemann and edge rusher Chris Rumph II on injured reserve. Niemann led the Chargers on special teams last season. He was on the field for nearly 75 percent of those snaps. Niemann has not played this season. Rumph was another of Ficken’s most experienced special teams players. He’s gone for the year.

When healthy, Niemann is the Chargers’ personal protector on the punt team. His replacement at that spot, safety Alohi Gilman, suffered a knee injury in Week 1. Gilman missed Week 2. He played just two special teams snaps in the last two games. The Chargers have used rookie cornerback Cam Hart as a personal protector, with the player actually calling the snap, for the past three games.

Cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor, the Chargers’ leading shooter, suffered a fibula injury in Week 1. He has only played eight plays on special teams in the last three games. Taylor was out for Week 4. Cornerback Deane Leonard, the shooting guard opposite Taylor, suffered a hamstring injury in practice and also missed the Chiefs game.

Rookie linebacker Junior Colson was expected to be a major contributor on special teams. He injured his hamstring in Week 2 and missed the last two games. Colson has only played 14 snaps on special teams this season.

Despite all of these injuries and moving parts, the Chargers still have a functional special teams unit. Coaching is an integral part of this.

(Top photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)