Silver And Black Pride
The Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers will wrap up Week 2 in the NFL, squaring off in the second game of a Monday Night Football doubleheader with first place in the AFC West on the line. Before the game, Michael Peterson from our friends at Bolts From the Blue was kind enough to answer a few questions about the Chargers for Raider Nation.
Q: Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman are known for leaning heavily on the running game, but Justin Herbert had 41 dropbacks last week despite the Chargers playing with the lead for the entire game. Is that a trend you expect to continue?
A: Yes, that’s actually what I expect to see each week in this given scenario, barring some massive surge by the rushing game that builds enough confidence in the coaching staff.
Without Rashawn Slater, the run game won’t be nearly as strong as it could have been this year. Instead, they’ll rely on short, efficient passes to their wideouts to help create an extension of the ground game, which will help them stay ahead of the chains.
As long as Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey are on the field for the Chargers, getting seven or eight yards at a time won’t be nearly as difficult as it was in 2024. At least, as long as this level of success can be sustained, then great. But it sure feels like at some point, the run game does need to take a step, or else teams later on in the year will surely find a way to exploit that shortcoming.
Q: Speaking of surprises with Los Angeles’ passing game, Quentin Johnston was the leading receiver against the Chiefs, recording five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Has Johnston finally turned the corner? Do you expect him to be a big part of the Chargers’ game plan this week and moving forward?
A: So I believe everyone may have some different “corner” for Johnston to turn this season, but I actually think this first game showed he’s exactly where he should be in the Chargers offense. Johnston is not likely to ever be a bona fide WR1, but he can absolutely be a matchup problem for a good playcaller.
What Roman showed against the Chiefs is that Johnston can be schemed open simply by getting him in the right spot and allowing him to beat his man to a spot. This is not unlike how the Chiefs got the most out of Tyreek Hill near and around the end zone. Johnston’s first touchdown was simply beating a man on a short crosser from one side of the field to the other. His second touchdown was the same thing, but flipping sides and further out. Herbert knew the blitz was coming, sprinted back in his drop and hit Johnston when he dusted the safety who could not keep up with him.
If Roman can continue to pick his spots for Johnston at the right time, then...
