Chargers' positive Ladd McConkey update injects some optimism into Raiders matchup

The Los Angeles Chargers' Week 1 defeat at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals left very little to feel inspired about.

Both the offense and the defense put up sub-par performances, and it ultimately cost the Chargers a game that could easily come to hurt their bid for a Wild Card berth at the end of the campaign. With the sort of schedule they have ahead of them, these are games you simply have to win.

But one player—wide receiver Ladd McConkey—looked like everything he was billed to be this offseason. Before going down with a chest injury late in the matchup, McConkey posted five receptions for 80 yards, including three explosive plays on Los Angeles' first drive of the game.

Thankfully, Jim Harbaugh provided a relatively positive update on McConkey's status in the aftermath of the loss.

While McConkey's status for the Week 2 matchup at home against the Las Vegas Raiders is still up in the air, the Chargers' star receiver now has a full week to heal up. It brings a much-needed dose of optimism to what's bound to be a self-reflective week for Los Angeles.

Ladd McConkey is day-to-day heading into the Chargers' Week 2 preparations

Under ideal circumstances, the Chargers wouldn't need any additional optimism at this point in the season. Both the Cardinals and the Raiders are projected to be near the bottom of the league's standings this season, and this early slate was meant to represent a chance for Los Angeles to start the campaign on the right foot before heading into their gauntlet of matchups in Weeks 3 through 10.

There really shouldn't be any concern for this team exiting a matchup with Arizona and getting set to face a Kirk Cousins-led Raiders offense.

But let's be frank here. Without McConkey, this offense would have been absolutely hopeless in Week 1.

We've heard all offseason about how McConkey has the skill set to be a key cog of McDaniel's offense out of the slot, especially considering the Chargers' new offensive coordinator's penchant for YAC-centered passing plays. The departure of Keenan Allen seemed to all but confirm that fact.

But we saw that storyline bear itself out on the field on Sunday. McConkey, for a brief stretch, looked absolutely unstoppable against the Cardinals defense, finding holes in their zone coverage and displaying some of the same catch-point skill set that made Allen such a trusted target when he was paired with Justin Herbert. It was quite possibly the lone silver lining from Los Angeles' offensive performance in Week 1, and to lose McConkey for any serious stretch of time at this point in the season would've been devastating.

We'll need to see how things unfold, and the updates weren't all positive from Harbaugh. Elijah Molden is day-to-day as well, and it seems as though second-year receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith will miss an extensive stretch of time as well.

But for now, we can rest in the fact that McConkey seems to have avoided anything serious. The Chargers need a major bounce-back performance next week, and that starts with McConkey being ready to take control of the offense again.

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