Charger Report

Quentin Johnston's impactful return zooms Chargers past mostly disinterested Cowboys

After missing last week with a groin injury, Los Angeles Chargers' speedy receiver Quentin Johnston returned with 104 yards receiving and a touchdown vs. the Dallas Cowboys.
Richie Whitt|
Quentin Johnston
Quentin Johnston | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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And you know why all week we: 1. Breathlessly covered Quentin Johnson's injury status; 2. Raised two skeptical eyebrows at oddsmakers favoring a lame-duck Dallas Cowboys squad over the playoff-hungry Los Angeles Chargers.

Johnston was back in a big way, helping the Bolts to easy 34-17 win over the mostly listless Cowboys. After allowing touchdown passes on Dallas' first two drives and falling behind 17-14, head coach Jim Harbaugh's team dominated the rest way in outscoring the Cowboys, 20-0, over the final 37 minutes.

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Johnston's speed was like a an electrick jolt shot in th veins of the offense. Granted, the Cowboys are one of the NFL's worst pass defenses, but the Chargers' offense just looked and felt different with Johnston on the outsde. L.A. beat the Kansas City Chiefs without him last week, but it was plodding game where Justin Herbert and the passing game never got out of first gear.

The transformation didn't take long.

Johnston's beautiful one-hand, toe-tap, 23-yard touchdown capped the first drive. His 50-yard deep catch set up a field goal on the first drive of the second half. Another time he got behind the defense but Herbert slightly underthrew him for an incompletion.

"When I throw deep passes I'm betting on Q and he's goes and gets them and makes big plays," Herbert said. "He's gotten so much better."

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Evidenced by only five targets, he's not a volume receiver. With Johnston it's quality over quantity. But his deep threat opens the middle for Herbert and his stable of receivers.

Herbert casually picked apart the Cowboys' woeful defense that has now surrendered 112 points the last three weeks, completing 23 of 29 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Johnston finished with four catches for 104 yards in his return from a groin injury.

The first-round draft pick in 2023 is still a lightning rod for Bolts fans. Early on in his career he consistently dropped passes. Then he battled injuries. On multiple occasions he's been written off as a "bust." But this season when he's healthy he's been aa difference-maker.

Johnston leads the Chargers with eight touchdown catches. They're a different offense when he's on the field.

Quentin Johnston
Quentin Johnston | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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Richie Whitt
RICHIE WHITT

Richie Whitt has been a sports media fixture in Dallas-Fort Worth since graduating from UT-Arlington in 1986. His career is highlighted by successful stints in print (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), TV (NBC5) and radio (105.3 The Fan). During his almost 40-year tenure, he's blabbed and blogged on events ranging from Super Bowls to NBA Finals to World Series to Stanley Cups to Olympics to Wimbledons to World Cups. Whitt has been covering the NFL since 1989, and in 1993 authored The 'Boys Are Back, a book chronicling the Dallas Cowboys' run to Super Bowl XXVII.

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