Tag: Quentin Johnston

Chargers WR Quentin Johnston reflects on rookie season, eyes breakout sophomore campaign

Quentin Johnston is ready to put his rookie season behind him and put together a solid sophomore campaign.

Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston is coming off his rookie season. A season in which he finished with 38 catches for 417 yards and two touchdowns.

Johnston recently spoke with Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez to talk about the opportunity where he and two other first-year players are inviting cruisers to score an unforgettable vacation getaway as well as his rookie campaign and what to expect in Year 2.

CW: Can you tell us about your partnership with Pepsi Zero Sugar and Carnival Cruise Line?

QJ: I’m excited to be partnering with Pepsi Zero Sugar and Carnival Cruise to kick off my rookie season. We are giving first-time cruisers a chance to set sail.

CW: How do fans enter for a chance to win the “Board a Rookie. Return a Pro.” Sweepstakes?

QJ: They can win the sweepstakes by visiting pepsirookiecruise.com.

CW: You’re now removed from your rookie season. Reflect on your first year in the pros.

QJ: Yeah, you know, everybody’s first season is kind of unexpected in a way just because this is the longest season. I thought my last college season was long just because we went to the playoffs and everything. But by the time that was over, we were still having NFL games, so a great learning experience with some great guys. Being on the field and then in the actual meeting room with Keenan. Guys like Mike. You know, day in and day out. It helped me elevate my game and just my mental knowledge of the game of football altogether.

CW: It seemed like you faced a lot of pressure, like most first-round picks do. But I believe expectations regarding rookies need to be tempered. What do you tell people that are that way? What are you looking to improve and what do you feel like you had a lot of success in your rookie season?

QJ: Just tell them once you’re drafted, you’re drafted. It doesn’t really matter where you get drafted you’re on the team and just be patient. I feel like a lot of rookies have different experiences and from my experience, it’s still football. But from college to the NFL, that’s a few levels up. Stuff like that takes time to get used to. I feel like, at this point, I have a full season under my belt. Starting to train with real professional guys day in and day out. Next season I feel like it will be more of my breakout season, and I’m very excited about it.

CW: Who would you say that you were the closest with and what was the best advice given?

QJ: Keenan Allen, for sure. On the field, you know he’s a great route runner. So just watching him come in and out of his breaks, especially starting camp. Just watching him and he’s doing it at a high level. He’d put me to the side and just start showing me how to tempo through certain routes and stuff like that. Off the field, stuff like film study, how to develop a routine when you’re away from the field so you can come back and refresh and have everything that you need to put your best foot forward the next day.

CW: How about former Chargers wide receiver coach Chris Beatty? He’s with the Bears now. He was your first positional coach in the NFL. What did you learn from him? What did he teach you? And what can you say about Chris?

QJ: Coach Beatty was a pretty good coach. He was my first NFL coach. That was a great experience with him. He’s been with a lot of teams and has coached a lot of good guys that I looked up to growing up. Guys like Tavon Austin. He would just tell me how those guys developed through the years and how I can develop, where he sees me at different points in the season. Hard coaching to set me up for this season coming up here, so I appreciate him for that.

CW: You’re having one of the most prestigious coaches in Jim Harbaugh coming in. I think people forget that you had a really good game against Michigan in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, too. 6 catches, 163 yards and a touchdown. What can you say about Jim? What are you looking forward to?

QJ: Very, very excited to have him. He actually shot me a text a few days after he got the job, and then a day or two after that, we got on the phone and had a cool little conversation about everything. We did talk about that Michigan game when we played them. So that was that was a pretty fun conversation. He wasn’t too happy about that. But I’m excited for him coming off this success he’s been having and we’re going to do everything we can to make that translate for him and for us to the next level.

CW: What can fans expect from you in Year 2?

QJ: I have a full year under my belt. I will continue to listen and learn from the other guys in the wide receiver room. Continue to master my craft. So I can guarantee this will be my breakout season and I’m just going to have fun while I’m doing it.

4 takeaways from Chargers’ 13-12 loss to Chiefs

The Chargers closed out the regular season with five consecutive losses.

Los Angeles ended the season with their fifth consecutive loss, dropping them to 5-12 at the hands of a skeleton crew Chiefs unit.

Here’s what to take away from the game.

Everything to know about Chargers’ loss to Chiefs

The Chargers closed out the regular season with a loss to the Chiefs.

The Chargers closed out the regular season with a loss to the Chiefs in a low-scoring affair at SoFi Stadium.

To recap everything from the season finale, here is everything to know from the game.

4 things to watch in Chargers vs. Chiefs

Here are a few storylines to track in the game between the Chargers and Chiefs..

Los Angeles mercifully ends their season on Sunday afternoon, matching up with a Chiefs team locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs. Blaine Gabbert will start for Kansas City, his first start since 2018.

Here are a few storylines to track in the game.

Chargers WR Alex Erickson steps up in Keenan Allen, Joshua Palmer’s absence

Alex Erickson raised some eyebrows in the loss to the Broncos.

The Chargers were without top wide receivers Keenan Allen and Joshua Palmer on Sunday against the Broncos.

While they were sidelined with their respective injuries, Alex Erickson took advantage of his bigger role.

Erickson led the team in receiving with seven catches for 98 yards, marking the second-highest totals in those categories of his career.

“Alex is a really good player and I’m really grateful we have him,” Easton Stick said. “A veteran in that room I think is really good right now. Obviously, with our injuries, he’s kind of like that stabilizing, calming force, he can fix many things and he’s seen a lot of football.”

After standing out with the Jets during this past preseason, Erickson was signed to the Chargers practice squad ahead of the 2023 season. He remained there until he was signed to the active roster on Dec. 2.

Erickson made himself known in the Week 13 victory over the Patriots when he hauled a 23-yard reception to seal the game.

In five games, Erickson has 14 receptions on 24 targets for 203 yards and a touchdown.

If Allen or Palmer remain out for the season finale against the Chiefs, Erickson will have the opportunity to capitalize on that performance and garner some attention as he will be seeking a new contract this offseason.

Social media reacts to Chargers’ 16-9 loss to Broncos

Here’s how social media reacted to the Chargers’ loss to the Broncos.

The Chargers extended their losing streak to four after falling short to the Broncos.

Here’s how social media reacted to Los Angeles’ loss to Denver:

Staff predictions for Chargers vs. Broncos in Week 17

Find out who the Chargers Wire staff is picking between Los Angeles and Denver.

The Los Angeles Chargers kick off Week 17 against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 1:25 p.m. PT.

Who is going to come out victorious?

Here is a look at the predictions from each of our writers at Chargers Wire:

Gavino:

This is a game between two depleted rosters and backup quarterbacks playing. While the Chargers showed some life under interim head coach Giff Smith last weekend against the Bills, winning at Mile High is not an easy task. I believe we see a low-scoring affair that ultimately goes in the Broncos’ favor.

Broncos 17, Chargers 14

Alex K:

You know how the days between Christmas and the New Year all run together, and you never really end up doing anything because of the general brain fog of the end of the holiday season? The Chargers and Broncos are going through that, too. Don’t expect much offense from either team, as both are starting backup quarterbacks and missing their top receiver.

Chargers 17, Broncos 16

Alex I:

Both the Chargers and Broncos come into this game without much to play for from a 2023 standpoint. LA’s key injuries list is long and they fired Brandon Staley two weeks ago. Meanwhile, in Denver, Sean Payton and management decided to effectively end Russell Wilson’s Denver tenure after a loss to New England.

Jarrett Stidham will get the start at quarterback in Wilson’s place. Stidham vs. Easton Stick is probably not the matchup many expected coming into the season. But between the two skeleton squads, the Chargers have gotten worse offensive results recently. Denver has more of their key contributors available to them (in other words, they’re not starting Quentin Johnston against Patrick Surtain).

The tank keeps on rolling, but the Chargers keep it competitive in Giff Smith’s third game.

Broncos 17, Chargers 16

Valentina:

The Chargers face the Broncos on Sunday and it will definitely be an interesting game since both teams are starting their backup quarterbacks. While Justin Herbert is out due to an injury, Denver has had some major internal problems as Broncos head coach Sean Payton chose to bench quarterback Russell Wilson. With all the drama going on in Denver, I think the Chargers will take this one home. 

Chargers 20, Broncos 16

5 keys to a Chargers win over Broncos

Here is how the Chargers defeat the Broncos.

The Chargers have late-season pride on the line in a matchup with division rival Denver in Week 17.

Neither team seems to be playing for much of a chance at the playoffs, despite the Broncos not being mathematically eliminated. Benching Russell Wilson has had them in the national media’s spotlight this week.

How can the Chargers get their first win under interim head coach Giff Smith while breaking their four-year-long losing streak in Denver? Let’s go over it.

Now or never for the run game

No way around it: LA’s run game has been absolutely dreadful in 2023. The Chargers have averaged over five yards per carry just once in their last eight games. The run blocking has taken a step back and Austin Ekeler has clearly regressed. Isaiah Spiller and Joshua Kelley haven’t brought much production to the table as of late either.

I wrote about it in my last Broncos-Chargers preview, but Denver’s run defense is still really bad. In fact, it’s gotten worse since their last meeting. They rank 31st in average rush yards allowed with 141.1.

Well, the Chargers have two weeks to show some signs of life on the ground. Austin Ekeler did have a more efficient night overall against Buffalo. But the Chargers really need to get something from Isaiah Spiller going forward. He should be fed more carries as the only longer-term contract asset on this roster. Kelley and Ekeler are free agents after the year.

Surviving Sean Payton’s initial scripts

Obviously, Denver’s quarterback change is an interesting variable to introduce into the picture this week. But either way, Sean Payton has been one of the better offensive scripters historically. This year, Denver ranks 7th in the NFL in first-quarter scoring.

It’s the second and third quarter where the Broncos have struggled with consistency. If the Chargers can come out hot with a defensive effort similar to the one they showed early in Buffalo last week, it could make their lives a lot easier. Outside of the scripted offense perspective and Denver not adapting well later in games, it’s obviously important to not let Stidham get comfortable either.

Dealing with Vance Joseph’s pressures better this time

The Chargers’ offensive line struggled with Vance Joseph’s blitzes and simulated pressures in their first matchup of the season. LA’s offensive line allowed 18 out of the team’s 20 pressures. Will Clapp, Jamaree Salyer, and the interior of that offensive line struggled in particular. Trey Pipkins also set his 2023 season-high for pressures allowed with seven.

Rashawn Slater and the aforementioned Pipkins need to have better showings in particular on the outside considering the inexperience of Brenden Jaimes on the interior. Ultimately, the line needs to have proper communication and execution if they’re going to hold up against the strain of Denver’s aggressive playcalling.

Can Quentin Johnston get something going?

Joshua Palmer and Keenan Allen are out. Frankly, one has to wonder from a long-term standpoint whether it’s better for the Chargers to shut them down for the rest of the season.

Nonetheless, it will be Quentin Johnston this week as the team’s natural WR1. In the two Easton Stick starts after they hooked up on some long throws in the Denver game, Johnston has been rather unremarkable. He has just four receptions on ten targets for 52 yards in the last two games.

We’ve seen some flashes from Johnston here or there, but it would be nice for the Chargers’ offense to see some evidence of a wire-to-wire takeover game. If they’re going to beat Denver with the receivers they’ll be rolling out on Sunday, they’re going to need it.

Good luck against Patrick Surtain.

Turnover battle is must win

In the Easton Stick era, winning the turnover battle is more of a requirement than it’s previously been. Even after beating the Bills 3-0 on turnover margin, the Chargers still lost due to some drives that resulted in Cameron Dicker field goals instead of touchdowns.

This is a test for Stick as well. Last week was the first game of his career in which he committed zero turnover-worthy plays. In the games against Las Vegas and Denver, he committed six combined. He has to play disciplined, sound football for the Chargers’ defensive turnovers to truly count.

Make Stidham uncomfortable. Get some strip sacks. Take a pick-six back to the house. Regardless of how it happens, the Chargers need to win the turnover margin for any shot to win in these last two contests.

Chargers WRs Keenan Allen, Joshua Palmer ruled out vs. Broncos

The Chargers will be without their top wideouts.

The Chargers will be without their top wide receivers as Keenan Allen and Joshua Palmer were ruled out for this Sunday’s contest against the Broncos.

Allen nor Palmer logged a single practice this past week, as they’re dealing with a heel injury and concussion, respectively.

Allen has missed the last three games with this injury. Before being sidelined, he was nearing career-high numbers, currently with 108 receptions, 1,243 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

Palmer sustained a knee injury that kept him out for over a month. Upon returning, he came on strong in the absence of Allen, recording nine catches for 160 yards and a score in the last two games.

In nine games, Palmer has 32 receptions for 537 yards (16.8 yards per reception) and two scores.

With Allen and Palmer out, rookie Quentin Johnston, Jalen Guyton and Alex Erickson will be the team’s top wideouts.

Edge defender Joey Bosa is also out for this weekend’s contest.

Linebacker Kenneth Murray, linebacker Tanner Muse and defensive tackle Nick Williams are doubtful.

Tight end Nick Vannett, guard Zion Johnson and cornerback Deane Leonard are questionable.

4 things to watch in Chargers’ matchup vs. Broncos

Here are a few things to watch for in the contest between the Chargers and Broncos.

The Chargers come one step closer to finishing their season on Sunday, matching up with a Broncos team who just benched their starting quarterback.

Here are a few things to watch for in the contest.