WRs Tyron Johnson, Jalen Guyton step up for Chargers in victory over Raiders

The Chargers have two ascending wide receivers.

The Chargers were close to going into Thursday’s contest against the Raiders without wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, both of whom were dealing with injuries.

While Allen and Williams ended up being active, the two only logged 24 and 28 snaps, respectively. The two receivers that out-snapped them were Tyron Johnson and Jalen Guyton.

The former undrafted free agents led the receivers in snaps, with Guyton receiving 53 while Johnson got 39. The two made the most of those snaps, as they combined for 152 yards on nine receptions.

Both players came up with big plays that had an impact on the outcome of the game. Johnson had a touchdown catch late in the second quarter and Guyton had a 53-yard reception in overtime to set up quarterback Justin Herbert’s game-winning rushing touchdown.

Following the game, Herbert said he, Guyton, and Johnson were the “second-team group” during training camp, adding that they have grown as the season has gone on.

Both players have flashed in spurts this season, but their true potential was unveiled on Thursday night. Guyton has grown to be a downfield specialist with his blazing speed while Johnson is becoming a threat in the intermediate and deep parts of the field.

Coming into the season, there was the narrative of who would be the receivers that would establish themselves as reliable pass-catching options behind Allen and Williams, and Guyton and Johnson have done just that.