An offensive showdown took place between the Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night. The Bengals were fighting to keep their season alive, but fell short in a 34-27 loss.
The Chargers, on the other hand, are rolling at the moment. They're 7-3 to begin the Jim Harbaugh era, a massive improvement from their 5-12 finish in 2023. Many criticized some decisions made this offseason, including passing on a top-tier pass catcher in the first round of April's draft. The Chargers didn't completely neglect the position, selecting Georgia product Ladd McConkey one round later.
While Ja'Marr Chase (75 yards, two touchdowns) and Tee Higgins (148 yards, one touchdown) shined in their own right against the Chargers, it was the rookie McConkey who came away with the last laugh on the night.
McConkey hauled in six passes for 123 yards against the Bengals, coming up big when it mattered most on their game-winning drive. Bleacher Report believes the Chargers just found their No.1 wide receiver after his performance.
"On a field Sunday night that featured Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Chargers' second-round rookie, Ladd McConkey, turned out to be the best wide receiver during Los Angeles' 34-27 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. McConkey caught six passes for 123 yards, including two critical snags during the Chargers' game-winning drive."
McConkey moved to second in rookie wide receiver yards with 615, nine above Malik Nabers and 74 shy of Brian Thomas Jr. With two 100-plus yard games under his belt already, the Chargers are getting an early return on their investment.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/chargers/ as Chargers rookie Ladd McConkey outshined Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins.