The Los Angeles Chargers desperately need another true pass catching weapon outside of Ladd McConkey.
Through three weeks, Los Angeles has the third-worst EPA/play in the NFL, leading only the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The passing offense, at its worst, has looked completely ineffective, with Mike McDaniel's usual schematic innovations falling flat in their actual execution on the field.
I don't need to tell you that, now that the Chargers are officially 0-3 and on the outside looking in of the playoff picture, things need to change. And they need to change quickly.
McDaniel's passing attack will only be firing on all cylinders once he is able to identify a true secondary threat outside of McConkey. Quentin Johnston—who should have taken on that mantle already given the faith the Chargers showed in him by picking up his fifth-year option—has been entirely unproductive and inconsistent through three games.
But if there's one silver lining here, it might be the fact that second-year receiver Tre' Harris has quietly established himself as an explosive-play threat through these three defeats. The Chargers simply need to figure out how to capitalize on his production and allow his presence to diversify the offensive attack as a whole.
Tre' Harris has set himself up for a major breakout in spite of the Chargers' offensive struggles
Coming into the season, the Chargers knew that McConkey was going to be their primary weapon through the air. He has the speed, route-running nuance, and catch-point skill set to be a major asset in underneath, YAC-centered scenarios, and McDaniel's scheme usually depends upon those opportunities to help set the stage for the occasional deep shot.
But if Johnston and Harris aren't producing or, at the very least, gaining separation on their deeper routes, the whole thing falls apart. That's what we saw in Weeks 1 and 2.
In Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, Johnston posted just two receptions for 17 yards while Harris posted three receptions for 20. In Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders, it was largely more of the same—except we got a major, 53-yard reception from Harris that served as his lone opportunity of the matchup.
Although the Los Angeles offense stalled in the second half of their Week 3 matchup with Buffalo and they ultimately failed to come away with a pivotal victory, things at least looked different on that front. Johnston still struggled—notably dropping an easy pass on a pivotal third down play that ultimately led to the loss—but Harris looked truly productive for the first time under this new scheme. He totaled six receptions for 76 yards on the day, functioning as both an underneath and a deep threat against a relatively staunch Bills secondary.
Harris got on the field as a rookie as a result of his blocking abilities, and that's established a baseline level of opportunity for him in his sophomore campaign. In an ideal world, Harris is third on the Chargers' wide receiver totem pole, functioning primarily in a blocking/Z-receiver role behind a productive Johnston. But Los Angeles is rapidly running out of time for that to become a reality.
The Chargers need production now from their outside receiver spots, and Harris seems to be ready to provide it.
A storyline like this can easily get buried under the rubble of the start to the season the Chargers have had. Who cares if Harris is putting up numbers if Los Angeles is rapidly playing their way out of playoff contention?
But any hope this team has rests on McDaniel's ability to get this offense right, and Harris may quietly be the key to that effort as the Chargers enter their Week 4 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
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