A good Ladd: Chargers’ rookie McConkey leads team to playoffs with 40-7 win

Kent State, Jacksonville State and Army. Those were Ladd McConkey’s three scholarship offers out of high school until Kirby Smart saw late film from the wide receiver in Georgia’s back yard. Five years later, the rookie led the Chargers to a playoff berth with a 40-7 win at New England.

McConkey has been Justin Herbert’s go-to receiver all season and, now, the explosive duo will take Los Angeles (10-6) to its fourth playoff berth in 15 seasons. The Chargers might be back on the East Coast in two weeks, potentially for a brotherly rematch with Baltimore.

A point guard as a prep basketball player, McConkey initiated the Chargers’ offense in Saturday’s 33-point win, their largest margin of victory since they won 45-10 at Jacksonville, Dec. 8, 2019. McConkey eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark with eight catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s got such a great understanding of the game,” said Herbert, who finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards, no interceptions and a season-high three touchdowns. “He’s so physically gifted, and then he’s got great understanding of defenses, leverage, and how people play him. He finds a way to get open. And I’ve talked about it all year, he’s just one of those guys on third down, you’ve got to find him because he’s going to find a way to get open.”

McConkey’s gotten open more than any rookie in Chargers history. With 1,054 yards on the season, he surpassed Keenan Allen (1,046 in 2013) for the franchise’s rookie receiving record. McConkey also has nine straight games with at least 50 receiving yards, matching Odell Beckham Jr.’s 2014 streak for the longest stretch by an NFL rookie since the league merger in 1970.

Herbert also made history on Saturday. The quarterback reached 20,747 career passing yards to surpass Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (20,618 from 1998-2002) for the most ever by a player in his first five NFL seasons.

With the playoff berth, Jim Harbaugh has officially continued his remarkable trend of turning around teams in his first season at the helm. The veteran head coach has improved a Chargers club that finished 5-12 a year ago, then traded Allen to Chicago, let Austin Ekeler sign with Washington in free agency and cut Mike Williams. Harbaugh also turned around teams in his initial seasons at his two prior stops, the 2015 Michigan Wolverines (10-3 after finishing 5-7 the year before) and the 2011 San Francisco 49ers (13-3 after finishing 6-10 the year before).

Don’t expect the Chargers to let off the gas in Las Vegas next week. Harbaugh said after the game he wants his team to tighten up, not lighten up. He also said 11 wins sounds much better than 10. And, by the way, there is someone who has it better than the Chargers.

“Future us is the only one who would have it better than us,” Harbaugh said.

For more information on the Chargers and Patriots, visit the L.A. Chargers and New England team pages at ProFootballPost.com.