Welcome back to the Chargers Mailbag!

We'll run a Mailbag each week during the regular season. Send in submissions for the Mailbag on Twitter @EricLSmith or by email at eric.smith@chargers.nfl.com.

Off we go...

No doubt.

The Chargers were practical and methodical in how they approached the offseason, but their best move might have been one they actually made in training camp.

Back in mid-July, the Chargers wide receiver room appeared to be set before the sudden retirement of Mike Williams.

That opened the door for Keenan Allen's return, and all he's done since August 6 is kick that door down and produce day-in and day-out.

Both Allen and Justin Herbert said they expected their rapport to pick right back up where it left off and that has clearly been the case.

"Third and Keenan" has been back in full force, with the veteran hauling in six catches for 54 yards on third down — with five of those receptions moving the chains — through three games.

Overall, Allen has a team-high 19 receptions and is tied for the team lead with three touchdown catches. His 194 receiving yards are second.

Both Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey have been great in their own right so far in 2025, but the addition of Allen has created a three-headed monster of sorts for Herbert to pick apart defenses with.

Allen has been consistent, too, as he is the only player with at least 60-plus receiving yards and at least one touchdown in each game so far.

As the Bolts look to get to 4-0 on Sunday against the Giants, Allen — who has 993 career catches — will be aiming for No. 1000 this weekend.

If he gets it Sunday, it would ironically come at MetLife Stadium, the site of where he surpassed 10,000 receiving yards back in 2023.

Antonio Gates' franchise record of 955 career catches would be the next target for Allen.

These are all big-time accolades that Allen is trying to reach, but that shouldn't be a surprise considering he's perhaps the best wide receiver in franchise history.

And he was also the best offseason move the Chargers made in recent months.

Hmmm, interesting question here from Ed.

As it stands right now, the NFC West has an argument because every team is above .500 through three games. And the NFC North, which has three teams with a winning record, is a tough group, too.

I'm not sure if I'd put the AFC West at the top of the list right now but they could very well be there by the time the season gets to December or January.

The Bolts lead the division at 3-0, but like we've harped on before, have a long way to go before they are even remotely satisfied.

The rest of the AFC West all sit at 1-2, but the Chargers know just how difficult that group is considering the three-game stretch they just endured.

The Broncos have one of the league's best defenses and nobody is ever going to write off Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, plus the Raiders have showed some fight under Pete Carroll through three games.

The Chargers won't play another AFC West game until Week 13 at home against the Raiders. We'll see what the division standings look like in late November, but one thing for sure is that games against these foes are always going to be a battle.

If everyone is healthy, the offensive line will look the same as it did to start Sunday's game.

That means, from left to right, the combination of Joe Alt, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, Mekhi Becton and Trey Pipkins III.

Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that Becton is in concussion protocol after he left Sunday's game with a head injury.

There seems to be some frustration with this group after Sunday's win given the fact that Herbert was pressured on 50-plus percent of his dropbacks.

And while I get some of that, I also believe this group deserves some credit for the way they battled in Week 3.

First off, Denver's defense is exceptionally good. The Broncos could end up having the NFL's best overall unit by the end of the year.

But the Chargers group hung tough, especially with moving pieces on the right side. Becton played just 31 snaps before Jamaree Salyer replaced him for the final 55 snaps.

Pipkins gutted through multiple injuries and missed just nine snaps despite clearly being limited. It was a warrior-like effort.

And while the rest of the group wasn't perfect by any means, Alt, Johnson and Bozeman did more than enough to secure the win.

It should also be noted that the Chargers didn't allow Herbert to get sacked on either of the final two offensive drives to help rattle off 10 points and get the win.

To borrow a phrase from Harbaugh, the entire line was "at their best when their best was needed most."

The Bolts have certainly tried to get the run game involved more of late, as the offense has increased their rushing attempts — from 25 to 25 to 28 — over the first three games.

Perhaps this is the week the Bolts put together a complete effort on the ground considering the Giants rank 31st in rushing yards allowed per game (153.3) so far this year.

The loss of Najee Harris to a torn Achilles is definitely a tough blow for the offense, however.

Rookie Omarion Hampton, who was already the Chargers lead back, should take on an ever bigger role, something Harbaugh said he's more than ready for.

"I think he's in great place to climb from and I trust he'll continue to be a great player," Harbaugh said of Hampton. "I really think that. Around him every day and just how much it means to him and how important it is for him, good place to climb from."

As for the rest of the room, Hassan Haskins should get more run in the backfield while Kimani Vidal is a good bet to be elevated off the practice squad for Sunday's game.

It will take a group effort to help offset the absence of Harris, who was looking stronger and stronger as the early part of the season got going.