Chargers review: Quentin Johnston suffers concussion in preseason loss to Rams

INGLEWOOD — The Chargers’ 23-22 preseason loss to the Rams on Saturday at SoFi Stadium began with the sight of wide receiver Quentin Johnston lying motionless on the artificial turf with members of both teams’ athletic trainers rushing to his aid. Here’s what we learned, what we heard and what comes next:

JOHNSTON UPDATE

Coach Jim Harbaugh said Johnston sustained a concussion when he absorbed a hard hit from Rams safety Tanner Ingle on a deep pass from quarterback Justin Herbert and then struck his head on the turf. Johnston was in jeopardy as he juggled the ball, attempting to latch onto it.

Johnston remained down on the field for several minutes before rising and walking under his own power to a nearby cart that took him to the Chargers’ locker room. He was taken to a hospital “out of precaution just to make sure everything was looked at and X-rays were taken,” Harbaugh said.

“Quentin suffered a concussion,” Harbaugh said. “It’s never a good thing. The way it looked there at the time, it looked like it could have been a lot worse. He was taken for more evaluation. He was talking. He remembered the play. He was moving good. So, in that way, it’s a good thing.”

Johnston, who joined with the Chargers’ starters to open their third preseason game, was hurt on the third play of the game. A crowd of 71,249 went silent as the third-year wide receiver was looked at by medical personnel. Harbaugh and wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal also looked on.

It wasn’t immediately certain how long Johnston might be sidelined.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith replaced Johnston, joining the Chargers’ starting offense on a drive that resulted in a 32-yard field goal from Cameron Dicker with 11:48 remaining in the first quarter. Lambert-Smith and fellow rookie Tre’ Harris played until the end of the Chargers’ first preseason loss.

Lambert-Smith had two catches for 66 yards; Harris had six catches for 85 yards.

Herbert played one possession, completing 2 of 5 passes for 46 yards in what was his first exhibition appearance since the Chargers drafted him in the first round in 2020. The 2020 preseason was canceled because of COVID-19 and he was held out in each of the next four preseasons.

DEFENSE DENTED

The Chargers went into the game with a defense that had given up only 20 points in two games, defeating the Detroit Lions, 34-7, and the New Orleans Saints, 27-13. It looked as if they had picked up exactly where they left off during the 2024 season, when they gave up an NFL-low 17.7 points per game.

Granted, the Rams rallied to win on Stetson Bennett’s last-second 8-yard touchdown pass to Tru Edwards, but it came mostly against the Chargers’ second- and third-team defensive players. Also, the Rams’ offense was far more polished than that of the Lions or Saints.

But the loss and the way it unfolded still troubled Harbaugh.

“I know it’s preseason, they talk about it’s just preseason, but it feels like regular season to me,” Harbaugh said after the Rams marched 75 yards in 10 plays over 1:23 to score the winning touchdown. “It probably will be for another 24 hours and it may be longer. Tremendous thing to learn from in this game. I’m confident we’ll dig into it.”

The Chargers held and lost leads of 3-0, 9-7, 15-10 and 22-17.

Bennett, the Rams’ third-string quarterback, completed 28 of 40 for 324 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Brennan Presley caught six passes from Bennett for a team-leading 102 yards. What’s more, the Rams rushed for 134 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per attempt.

UNSUNG HEROES

Wide receiver Luke Grimm returned a punt 66 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 12:36 remaining in the game. He nearly returned one against the Saints, but was tripped up at the moment of truth. Grimm, Lambert-Smith and Nyheim Miller-Hines returned punts in place of an injured Derius Davis.

Defensive lineman TeRah Edwards intercepted a pass from Bennett and returned it 27 yards before Bennett tripped him up at the Chargers’ 49. Said Edwards of finding himself in such an unusual position: “It was a blessing. It was in my hands and I was, like, ‘What’s going on?’ I ain’t touched the ball in years.”

WHAT COMES NEXT?

The Chargers complete their four-game preseason schedule with a game against the San Francisco 49ers next Saturday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The open the regular season on Sept. 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Brazil.