Chargers get a massive boost with Ladd McConkey available to play vs. Raiders

Needless to say, the Los Angeles Chargers are facing a must-win game at home in Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Things happen in Week 1, and it's still reasonable to be optimistic about the Chargers' ability to bounce back from an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals. But with the schedule they have ahead of them after this matchup, it was frankly a loss they couldn't afford. They need to get through Week 10 with, at minimum, a 6-3 record to maximize their chances of having a prime position in the playoff race, and with Week 1 behind us, that starts against Las Vegas today.

Thankfully, the Chargers got excellent news ahead of the start of their matchup at 1:05 PM PT. Wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who left the game last week with a chest/rib injury, is now confirmed to be available. Although Los Angeles will still be without some other key contributors in Week 2, this was perhaps the best way things could've realistically shaken out.

Here's the Chargers' full injury report for Week 2:

Ladd McConkey is ready to go vs. Raiders in Week 2 (with some precautions)

Coming into the season, we knew that McConkey was going to be the primary focus of Mike McDaniel's passing game. While Quentin Johnston and Tre' Harris could function as complementary threats, a large portion of the viability of the offense was going to hinge on McConkey's catch-point abilities and talent for gaining extra yards in open space.

Most of us weren't thinking it would look like that in Week 1, though.

The Los Angeles offense seemed to only truly get going when Justin Herbert was able to connect with McConkey—who appears to be his new most-trusted receiver after the departure of Keenan Allen this offseason. McConkey posted three receptions for 60 yards on the Chargers' first (and cleanest) drive of the game, and he finished the matchup with five receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown.

David Njoku and Oronde Gadsden II had parts to play as well, but Los Angeles' other two primary receivers—Johnston and Harris—finished the day with just five combined receptions for 37 yards. When McConkey didn't practice on Wednesday or Thursday, there was plenty of reason to be concerned. McDaniel, no holds barred, needs to get the rest of the offense going in Week 2 as well.

But there isn't a weapon on this team as suited for his scheme as McConkey. And as much improvement as the Raiders have undertaken with their LB room and secondary this offseason, they still don't truly have the infrastructure to limit a weapon like that, assuming they can't simply sell out on him out of the slot.

McConkey is the key to a Chargers victory in Week 2, and he'll be on the field as much as possible—although he'll be wearing a 'flak jacket', per Adam Schefter, to minimize any risk of re-aggravating the injury.

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