Chargers channel routine of Super Bowl MVP to fix Quentin Johnston's drop issues

Johnston has been putting in the work behind the scenes on his hands.

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Everybody knows at this point that Quentin Johnston has a drop problem. Since being drafted in the first round last year, Johnson hasn't exactly lived up to that caliber, with drops being a major issue along his short journey thus far.

Those drop issues, however, weren't evident in the Los Angeles Chargers' Week 14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. In the wake of Ladd McConkey's injury, the Chargers desperately needed other playmakers to step up in his absence. Johnston was one who answered the call.

He went on to catch five passes for 48 yards and one touchdown. The work he put in since his disastrous three-drop outing against the Baltimore Ravens two weeks earlier shouldn't go unnoticed, as Johnston and wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal made sure to hone in on the fundamentals.

Daniel Popper of the Athletic detailed what Lal and Johnston's routine was like over the last two weeks, going as far as using drills that Santonio Holmes would implement. Lal was the New York Jets' wide reciever coach when Holmes was stationed there, so he knows how to improve pass catchers that have trouble reeling in receptions.

"Over the next two weeks, Lal brought a drill to the practice field. He first learned it more than a decade ago from receiver Santonio Holmes. Lal was the New York Jets’receivers coach, and Holmes was in his room. The drill honed what Lal calls a “traffic-catch technique.” The coach throws the receiver the ball. The receiver focuses on squeezing the ball with two hands, then bringing it to his chest, locking it and pinning it without taking either hand off the ball."

It seems that Holmes' techniques worked, as Johnston had a strong performance when the Chargers needed it most. Hopefully he can use that as momentum to ride out the remainder of the season.

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