Justin Herbert’s performance last week took a nosedive when Ladd McConkey went out, and the numbers are brutal, folks. With McConkey on the field for the Chargers, Herbert was rocking a 128.4 passer rating and 10.3 yards per attempt on 17 dropbacks. That’s elite stuff.
Herbert’s Offense Just Lost Its Engine
But get this: the second McConkey was sidelined with a rib injury, everything changed. On another 17 dropbacks without his best receiver, Herbert’s passer rating cratered to a shocking 42.3! His yards per attempt plummeted to 5.4, and the first-down rate dropped from 47.1% all the way down to a measly 11.8%. We’re talking about a difference where the Chargers averaged 6.3 yards per play with McConkey versus just 4.2 yards per play without him. It’s clear McConkey was the engine, and now he’s day-to-day, not even practicing. Even if he somehow suits up on Sunday, it’ll likely be limited. That’s a massive red flag for Herbert’s Week 2 outlook.
And it’s not like the Raiders’ defense is a cakewalk. They beefed up their D big time in the offseason, and even though it was against the Dolphins, they showed up in Week 1. Nakobe Dean, Kwity Paye, Quay Walker, and Treydan Stukes were making impact plays, and Maxx Crosby bagged 1.5 sacks of his own. Herbert is incredibly talented, no doubt, but with McConkey out and a hungry Raiders D coming to town, he’s outside the top 12 quarterbacks this week. If you’ve got a solid QB2 or a streamer like Brock Purdy, Jaxson Dart, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, Baker Mayfield, or Bryce Young, you gotta start them instead. Seriously, you just gotta.
Browns’ Offense Is a Black Hole for Quinshon Judkins
Then there’s Quinshon Judkins. You know how sometimes a running back can still be useful even if his offense stinks? Well, that usually means he’s an amazing receiver or playing behind an awesome offensive line. Judkins? He’s got neither. And the Browns’ offense isn’t just subpar; it’s straight-up atrocious. In Week 1, they only made it to the red zone twice. TWICE! And what did they get? One measly field goal, plus a turnover on downs. Ouch. Only one of their first six drives even crossed into Jacksonville territory, and that ended with a Deshaun Watson interception.
This spells disaster for Judkins. The man only managed 33 rushing yards on 12 carries last week. Get this: Watson had more rushing yards than his starting running back! Judkins’ 2.8 yards per carry, 25% success rate, and negative EPA per carry are all bottom-tier. Oh, and zero explosive runs. ZERO. It’s a tough look when your offense can’t get anything going, and your star rookie back isn’t showing any flashes. He’s a full-on fade for Week 2.
Week 2 is here, and you gotta be sharp. For both Herbert and Judkins, the path to fantasy glory looks blocked right now. Herbert faces a tough spot without his top guy, and Judkins is stuck in an offense that looks like it’s actively trying to keep him from scoring. Check your lineups, make those tough calls, and let’s see who steps up in these matchups. Good luck out there, folks, because these are some tough decisions you gotta make!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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