The Chargers needed big games from numerous players on Sunday night to ensure they escape the surging Bengals. Indeed, there could have been many more names in this week’s winners and losers, but we’ve picked two and two.

Let’s go ahead and dive in.

Winners

W. R. Ladd McConkey

While teammate Quentin Johnston may score the touchdowns, McConkey is still the Chargers’ most productive receiver as a rookie. It also happens that McConkey’s catches come at crucial moments.

With the score tied at 27-27 and the Chargers offense staring at a clock with 45 seconds left while standing on their own 16-yard line, McConkey made two huge plays in succession to single-handedly put the Chargers in the get a field goal. range. The first was a 28-yard grab near the right sideline on a beautiful breakaway cut. After the Chargers’ second timeout of the half, Herbert again found McConley on a deep intersection near the opposite sideline for another 27 yards, putting them at the Bengals 29.

From there, JK Dobbins took care of the rest.

McConkey finished the game with six receptions for a career-high 123 yards and has certainly solidified himself as the Chargers’ bona fide WR1 for the 2024 season and possibly for years to come.

EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu

After posting two sacks against the Titans a week ago, Tuli followed up that performance with another 1.5 sacks in place of the injured Khalil Mack who missed Sunday night with a lingering groin injury. He also posted two big tackles for loss that kept the Bengals behind the chains for most of the night.

After going the first six games of the season without a sack, Tuli has broken seven sacks in the last four games alone. During that same period, he also recorded six of his eight total tackles for loss on the year.

In a year where Mack hasn’t posted as many sacks as expected thus far, it’s been a refreshing scene to see younger players step up when needed most. The Chargers have done really well in Tuipulotu.

Losers

CB Ja’Sir Taylor

Taylor has been having a hard time lately.

Against the Titans a week ago, he was dusted by Calvin Ridley for a 42-yard touchdown. Facing the Bengals on Sunday night, he was one of two players reporting on Tee Higgins on the huge touchdown that pulled the Bengals within a touchdown in the third quarter.

Earlier today, Pro Football Focus dropped their grades from last night’s game and Taylor finished as the lowest-graded player on the entire team with a 38.9, including a team-low 37.2 in coverage.

DT Otito Ogbonia

Tito nearly cost the Chargers the game when he was flagged for roughing the passer on a play that ended in an interception for his defense. The former fifth-round pick broke free from a block in the middle and proceeded to take down Burrow just as he stepped off a pass. That all sounds like a great thing for a defensive lineman, but the mistake here was Tito landing all his weight on Burrow.

There was no way he was trying to fall to the side or immediately roll off of him. That’s the fastest way to draw a flag when landing a hit on the quarterback in today’s NFL, and it almost cost the Chargers the game. Tito is not a green rookie at this point. He should know the nuance surrounding hitting quarterbacks by now.

I’ve really felt in recent weeks that Tito has been a better player than his PFF grades suggest, but this one was hard to ignore. He needs to get some of these things under control before they potentially cause problems in future games where the stakes are even higher.