The Chargers’ Week 1 performance was an absolute trainwreck, but amidst the chaos, wideout Ladd McConkey dropped an insane 90.7 PFF grade before getting hurt, flashing elite potential that the rest of his team just couldn’t match. It was a flat, disconnected, and sloppy outing all around, with “much more bad than good” coming from the defensive side of the ball. But man, McConkey really stood out.
Offensive Stars Shined, Then Some Got Dinged
Ladd McConkey truly was ELITE. He snatched five passes for 82 yards and a score, including three for a cool 60 yards on just the opening drive! Talk about making an immediate impact in a new offense. The dude was flying. The huge bummer is he left the game with a rib injury and coach Jim Harbaugh has him listed as “day-to-day.” You just know everyone in Inglewood is holding their breath on that one.
But it wasn’t just McConkey trying to carry the load. Offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, back on the field after more than a year and a half, looked solid with a 76.3 PFF grade. He was their top run blocker, hitting an 87.4, and came in third in pass protection at 73.1. Tight end David Njoku also became a consistent weapon, catching all five of his targets for a 71.9 grade, right behind McConkey. New Charger Kayode Awosika, an offensive guard, had a fantastic debut with a 71.1 grade, showing stellar pass protection at 85.1, the top grade there. And right behind him in pass protection was offensive tackle Joe Alt, pulling an 82.8. Alt also landed third in run blocking at 62.9. These guys were really trying to make something happen.
The “Worst Of” List Is Way Too Long
Now for the ugly stuff. If the offense had a few bright spots, the worst grades from Pro Football Focus painted a seriously grim picture for the line. Offensive guard/tackle Trey Pipkins came in with a dismal 37.1 overall grade. He was the “far-and-away worse option” at left guard, with abysmal 38.9 run blocking and 41.4 pass protection grades. Ouch.
Then there’s offensive guard Cole Strange, who pulled a 41.0. His 10.9 pass blocking grade is so bad it’s almost impressive, basically making him a road bump on the way to the quarterback. Center Jake Slaughter? He utterly failed his first real NFL test, even against a defensive line that had no stars. His 39.0 run block was second worst to Pipkins among offensive linemen, making him the worst center in Week One across 34 players who took a snap at the position. Even fullback Alec Ingold, brought in for his familiarity with the offense, had a rough game with a 47.0 grade and the worst run block grade on the team at 36.6. Wide receiver Derius Davis rounded out the bottom with a 53.0.
This team needs to figure things out fast. With McConkey’s status still up in the air, the Chargers’ Week 1 showing definitely puts a lot of pressure on the guys who struggled. The rest of this season is going to show whether those weak links can step up or if this is just the beginning of a seriously messy year.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bolts from the Blue.
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