Los Angeles Chargers first round rookie wide receiver Quentin Johnston has been enlisted as the team's No. 1 wide receiver target for backup-turned-starting quarterback Easton Stick, thanks to injuries to Keenan Allen (heel), Joshua Palmer (concussion), and Mike Williams (torn ACL).
As Daniel Popper of The Athletic writes, a clear sign of Johnston's new placement in the Bolts' hierarchy was the Denver Broncos cornerback tasked with covering him -- Pat Surtain II. He didn't earn a catch until the 10:11 mark of the game's fourth quarter. Ultimately, Johnston wrapped up with three catches for a total of 29 yards.
“He obviously [saw] something on film to where he feels the need to be on me every (snap),” Johnston said. “Kind of upside for me. But on the other hand, for most of the first half, it wasn’t going the way it was supposed to, so for me, I’m just going back, watching the film, especially with a guy like that, and seeing where I fell short. And just continuing to get better.”
Wideout Alex Erickson became the focal target of Stick as the game progressed.
“You’ve seen enough film. That’s what he does,” Stick said of Surtain's approach. “He’s a really good player. He’s super long. He makes things tough. So he did a good job today, and Q keeps battling. He made some catches there on him at the end that helped us. You know going into that’s the type of game it’s going to be.”
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