Chargers’ Jalen Guyton is making every catch count
Through six games, Jalen Guyton has only eight receptions, but he’s made them productive.
The former undrafted free agent out of North Texas has totaled 258 yards receiving and scored three touchdowns. That’s an average of 32.3 yards per catch.
Guyton hauled in a 70-yard score from Justin Herbert late in the third quarter Sunday to tie the score against Jacksonville in a game the Chargers would win 39-29.
“Obviously, we really needed that one,” Guyton said afterward. “It felt good to just be in the game, relearning how to finish out the game. Winning in the league is hard.”
Beleaguered Chargers kicker Michael Badgley made two of three field goal attempts against Jacksonville but missed an extra point for the second straight week.
The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the Chargers.
Guyton appeared in three games last season but made no catches. He earned a spot on the roster this season because of his speed, which Herbert also exploited for a 72-yard touchdown in Week 4 against Tampa Bay.
“I like being on the field playing ball,” Guyton said. “I love being out there working, winning football games.”
The Chargers also got a touchdown Sunday from another young receiver, Joe Reed. He returned after being inactive for two games, something he called “definitely frustrating.”
The Chargers’ defense relinquished a double-digit lead for the third straight game, causing concern for coach Anthony Lynn.
Versatile enough to also play running back, the rookie scored in the closing seconds of the first quarter on a seven-yard sweep.
“Breaking the huddle, I told myself whatever it took, I had to get in,” said Reed, a fifth-round pick out of Virginia. “Just trust the blocking in front of me.”
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