The Chargers can’t afford another flat passing day when they line up against the Raiders in Week 2, and that puts Quentin Johnston squarely in the spotlight.
Los Angeles comes into the matchup trying to clean up the mess from its Week 1 loss, where the passing game never found a steady rhythm. That problem got even bigger when Ladd McConkey left in the third quarter with a rib injury. McConkey is now day-to-day, and if he can’t go, someone else in the receiver room has to give Justin Herbert a real answer.
The Chargers also have a different kind of test ahead of them this week. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and Herbert will likely need to tweak the plan they used against the Arizona Cardinals, not just because the Raiders are a different opponent, but because the passing attack simply wasn’t efficient enough to lean on the same approach again.
That’s part of why Los Angeles added veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the practice squad. He gives the team another body and another potential playmaker at receiver. But the bigger swing for this offense still comes from Johnston.
He has the speed to stress a defense on the outside and open up room underneath for everyone else, including the tight ends. That kind of vertical threat can change the shape of a game, and the Chargers need more of it after Johnston managed just two catches for 17 yards on six targets in Week 1.
The encouraging part is that Johnston has already shown what he can do. Last season, he scored eight touchdowns and had several games where his explosiveness showed up all over the field. He also handled the Raiders well in 2025, putting together six catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns across the two meetings between the teams.
So if the Chargers are going to get their passing game moving and avoid an 0-2 start to 2026, Johnston looks like the player who has to answer the call. A strong bounce-back from him would do more than help Herbert - it would tell the rest of the league he’s ready to make big-time plays.
In Other News...
Chargers Suddenly Have A Raiders Problem Beyond Justin Herbert
The Chargers opened at home with a loss to the Cardinals, and the ugly part was how thoroughly the problems spread across the roster. Justin Herbert did not get enough help, but the roughest stretch may have come on special teams, where the kick return unit repeatedly left Los Angeles buried in poor field position and made the offense work from too far back too often.
Now the attention turns quickly to a divisional stretch that already includes the Raiders, and that is where the hidden cost of those special teams issues could show up again. For a team trying to keep pace in a tough early schedule, the margin is thin enough without giving away field position snap after snap, and the Chargers will need a cleaner third phase before the AFC West race starts getting even tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers May Have An O-Line Fix Fans Need To Watch
The Chargers offensive line has already shown why it will stay under a microscope, with the team rotating players at left guard and giving up multiple sacks in a recent game. That kind of instability tends to linger for a contender, especially when it keeps forcing the staff to patch one spot while trying to protect the rest of the front.
One name worth keeping on the radar is Iowas Kade Pieper, whose profile has started to surface as a possible answer for a team that could use more help up front. The fit is still speculative and tied more to traits and need than any real draft certainty, but the idea is simple enough for Chargers fans: if the line remains an issue, this is the sort of prospect who could matter by the 2027 NFL Draft. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Could Catch A Huge Break In Raiders Week 2 Plan
Brock Bowers was back on the practice field for the Raiders this week after having a meniscus trim on Sept. 8, his first session since the procedure, but the return comes with obvious caution attached. Las Vegas is being careful with one of its most important weapons after he sat out the season opener, and the Chargers are paying close attention to every update as Week 2 approaches.
Klint Kubiak still listed Bowers as doubtful for the matchup with Los Angeles, with his final participation status yet to be settled. For a Chargers defense that would rather not see the Raiders tight end working full speed, the early outlook offers a possible break, even if the week still has time to change the picture. [Read more 🡒]