Quentin Johnston flashed all season, but it was just a matter of time until he had a performance to match his first-round billing. That game came on Sunday in the Chargers’ win over the Raiders.
Johnston, the second-year wideout, was a dominant force. He put up eye-popping numbers, finishing with 13 catches for 186 yards. Johnston had never caught more than five passes in a game. And his previous best in yards was 118, which he set back in Week 9 against the Browns.
“You got to feed the hot hand. He’s a guy that went out and made a bunch of plays,” Justin Herbert said, per the team’s official website. “We’ve seen it all year, he’s playing the right football at the right time.
“He’s confident, he’s going out there and having fun,” Herbert added. “You can tell he’s feeling it, and whenever he’s doing that, you got to get him the ball no matter how it is. He did a great job of that today.”
Johnston made plays at all three levels of the field, winning with an assortment of routes, including on a go route that resulted in a spectacular fingertip catch for a 39-yard gain.
“Just felt like yelling and screaming, that type of crazy stuff,” Johnston said. “But I did my first-down thing and had to refresh and get back to the next play because we didn’t score. The focus was just getting in the end zone after that.”
Johnston finished the season with 55 catches for 711 yards and eight receiving touchdowns, which was a team-high.
Since his rough rookie season, Johnston has grown as a player and wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal deserves credit for contributing to his development.
The Chargers hope he can maintain that level of play in next weekend’s playoff game against the Texans.