The Los Angeles Chargers got their first win of the season on Sunday with a 28-24 win over the Minnesota Vikings, but the win came with a cost. Mike Williams went down in the second half with a knee injury, which was eventually revealed to be a torn ACL, prematurely ending his season. Although it didn’t seem to slow down Justin Herbert against a porous Vikings secondary, this will have some ramifications for the Chargers wide receiver corps – and certain players, namely Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston, will have to step up.
Next Players Up for the Chargers Wide Receiver Corps After Mike Williams Injury
Josh Palmer
At the moment, third-year receiver Josh Palmer appears to be the immediate beneficiary. Although Herbert’s attention mostly remained on Keenan Allen, a few more looks went Palmer’s way. It makes sense – Herbert already seems to trust him enough, and while Palmer’s not a world-beater, he’s already proven himself capable of stepping up when needed. When Williams went down in one of the Chiefs matchups last year, Palmer went for 100 yards and two touchdowns while playing opposite Allen – so while Palmer may not have the big-play ability of Williams, this starting duo can work.
The one hitch about this duo is that Palmer is basically a discount Keenan Allen who gets a bit less separation. Part of the reason the Allen-Williams duo has worked well in the past is that they had skillsets that balanced each other out – Allen was the elite route-runner who could get separation, and Williams was the big-play/jump-ball guy. Allen and Palmer are a bit more similar. If Palmer takes another step forward in Year 3, that could improve matters, but otherwise, they may need to look elsewhere for bigger plays.
Quentin Johnston
The first-round rookie also stands to benefit here – if anything, it’s a little surprising he hasn’t been featured in the offense already. Through three games, he has just five catches for 26 yards, and has not played more than 30% of offensive snaps in a game. There’s a myriad of factors here – the Chargers have been seemingly running more sets with just two wideouts this year. But Palmer has usually been the third receiver when they have called for more.
But Herbert also just hasn’t really been looking Johnston’s way yet. Johnston was getting separation when he was on the field on Sunday, but Herbert was focused more on Allen and Williams (and Palmer after Williams went down). He seemed to prefer sticking with the guys he was more familiar with. However, Johnston will have to become a part of the game plan now out of necessity. With Williams down, Johnston has the most big-play potential of the bunch – his being big yards-after-catch/speed plays rather than big jump ball plays. Quite simply, it may be just a matter of getting the ball in his hands and seeing what he can do with it.
Everyone Else
Derius Davis hasn’t been in the offensive lineup much except for the occasional reverse or sweep play, but one has to wonder if he’ll get a few looks now. He’d be another case of “get the ball in his hands and watch him hit the afterburners.” He’d still be the WR4 and probably only get the occasional glance, but it’s something to watch for.
There’s also the matter of Jalen Guyton eventually returning from injury – that’s another familiar face that Herbert will likely be wanting to throw to when he can. He’d also be WR4 at best and would be fighting with Davis for snaps, but he might win that battle. If he manages to get open downfield as he has on occasion in the past, watch out; he’s been good for a few 50-yard+ touchdowns in the past.
There’s also the matter of whether anyone gets activated from the practice squad. Given that they’ll be down to four healthy ones without Williams, they’ll have to activate one until Guyton returns – and then decide whether to keep six or not. The options right now are Keelan Doss, Alex Erickson, and Terrell Bynum. Doss seems the most likely choice there – he had a good preseason, and Erickson is likely just the backup plan at kick/punt return if Davis ever goes down. So unless they see something in undrafted free agent Bynum that they like a lot, Doss is the most likely receiver to get activated. It’s doubtful that he or any other practice squad receiver would see much looks as long as the other active ones are healthy, though.
In Conclusion
While Williams is still a big loss for the Chargers wide receiver corps, there’s enough talent or at least upside among the remaining receiving corps that it may not be as disastrous as in previous years. We know Palmer can hold his own, but both rookies (but mostly Johnston) will need to step up to help ensure the passing offense remains explosive – not to mention Guyton when he’s back. If Johnston doesn’t adjust to the big leagues quickly enough, the passing attack could be a little hampered.
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