Morale is high after the Chargers’ season opening 22-10 victory over the Raiders. Now, they are set to face the Panthers in Week 2 in an attempt to keep the momentum going.
In the opening win, several players stepped up in a big way, while a few others disappointed. Here’s a look at who is trending up or down following the Chargers’ season opener.
Stock Up: RB J.K. Dobbins
There’s no doubt as to who boosted there stock more in Week 1. Dobbins’ 135 rushing yards was the third-most across the NFL, and it came on a total of just 10 carries. His injury history is well known, but if he continues to be efficient, he should only continue to see more snaps.
Stock Down: RB Gus Edwards
While Edwards wasn’t particularly effective in his team debut, this one has more to do with Dobbins’ performance. It was unclear as to who would see a majority of the work at tailback, and it still remains a bit up in the air. After the opener though, Dobbins is trending upwards which only hurts Edwards in turn. The former Baltimore Raven averaged just 2.4 yards per carry across 11 attempts. Edwards also saw less work in the passing game, as he finished with two less catches than Dobbins.
Stock Up: DL Otito Ogbonnia
The Chargers’ defensive front was stifling in the opening victory, which was largely led by Ogbonnia and Poona Ford. The defense allowed just 71 rushing yards, a sustainable recipe for success moving forward. Ogbonnia performed admirably in his fourth career start. While he won’t provide much of a pass rush, his presence in the running game will be crucial as the season goes on.
Stock Down: WR Joshua Palmer
2024 is supposed to be the season in which Palmer breaks out in a big way. The Chargers lost its two best wideouts this past offseason, and presumed starter D.J. Chark was placed on IR just ahead of the season opener. Despite the team’s 22-10 win, Palmer was disappointing in the opener. He finished the day with just two catches on four targets for 15 yards. It should be mentioned that Palmer was ejected from the game in the second half as well. There is still plenty of time for him to step up though, including a favorable matchup in Week 2 against the Panthers.
Stock Up: WR Ladd McConkey
McConkey was labeled as a major winner of the Week 1 victory, and as a direct result, his stock is only on the rise. The rookie led the offense in targets, catches, and receiving yards in addition to the lone touchdown in the passing game. Some thought that it may take him some time before becoming the team’s top wideout, but he may already be just that for the Chargers.
Stock Down: OL Bradley Bozeman
It wasn’t the best of performances for the seventh-year veteran center. In his first start with the new team, he was a bit erratic, including allowing a sack. To be fair, he had a difficult task in trying to contain Raiders star defensive lineman Christian Wilkins. Still, Bozeman’s poor performance has raised additional concerns on the Chargers’ interior portion of the offensive line.
