The Los Angeles Chargers enter Thursday night’s clash for playoff positioning in less-than-perfect condition. Los Angeles had been flying high before a 40-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers knocked it back to 8-6, good for seventh in the AFC. Quarterback Justin Herbert is banged up and wide receiver Quentin Johnston did not practice Monday as he deals with an ankle injury.
Thursday’s matchup is critical. If the Chargers can beat the 9-5 Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football, they would sweep the teams’ season series and put themselves in pole position to claim the No. 6 seed in the playoffs and avoid the Buffalo Bills in the first round.
Having a healthy Johnston would go a long way towards helping Los Angeles do just that. The second-year pro from TCU is having a productive year, hauling in 34 catches for 459 yards and eight touchdowns despite missing two games earlier in the season with a separate ankle injury. He is second on the Chargers in target share behind Ladd McConkey but has been Herbert’s primary threat in both the red zone and the end zone.
However, I’m not optimistic about Johnston’s chances of producing a good game against a Denver secondary that ranks among the best in the league. The Broncos’ lethal secondary duo of cornerback Pat Surtain II and safety Brandon Jones have combined for 95 tackles, and Surtain is tied for eighth in the league with four interceptions. Denver has allowed opposing passers to post just an 81.5 passer rating, the fourth-lowest in the league. Los Angeles already operates a rather conservative offense, and I don’t expect Herbert to take a lot of chances against the Broncos.
Plus, Johnston’s status as the Chargers’ primary deep threat doesn’t bode well against Denver. His average depth of target (12.0 yards) is deeper than McConkey’s (10.1), but the Broncos have been adept at limiting big plays, ranking in the top ten in preventing both 20-plus- and 40-plus-yard completions despite being targeted more than three teams. McConkey’s improved health — he missed Los Angeles’ December 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with a knee injury and was still rounding his way back into form last week — will likely take even more targets away from Johnston.
Start or Sit: Sit Quentin Johnston.
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