Antonio Callaway struggled badly in his 2019 debut against the 49ers on Monday night. He broke off his route incorrectly on Baker Mayfield’s first interception, a play where he also stopped after the pick instead of trying to make a tackle. Callaway also had a couple of missed blocking assignments. Those were before his flubbed would-be TD reception that turned into an interception after the second-year wideout juggled the ball into the hands of the waiting defender.

It turns out Callaway’s struggles might have been a result of playing in an unfamiliar role. The wideout told reporters after Friday’s practice that he’s moving back to the same receiving role he played as a rookie going forward.

Although he lines up all across the formation, Allen is the primary slot receiver for the Chargers. This week, the Jets lost starting slot defender Brian Poole (knee, IR), who is their best corner. Filling in for Poole will be fourth-year undrafted journeyman and special-teamer Arthur Maulet, who has allowed a 76.4% catch rate in his career. The veteran was off to solid start as the primary slot receiver in San Diego with 14 catches, 173 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 targets in the first three weeks.

Callaway primarily lined up as the ‘Z’ receiver against the 49ers. That’s a different role than his more familiar ‘X’ spot he played as a rookie. He also took most of his training camp and preseason reps at the X.

There is a considerable difference between the two roles, one which Callaway was clearly not ready to navigate.

In general, the X receiver is the split end and often (but not always) the most talented all-around receiver. He lines up wide of the formation and on the line of scrimmage. The X cannot go in motion pre-snap, and because of that, he’s often more exposed to press coverage at the line than the Z or the slot (the ‘Y’). Getting off press-man or quickly eating cushion from off-man are critical skills for an X.

Chargers Slot Receiver

The Z aligns back from the line of scrimmage and can go in motion. He’s typically flanking the tight end and/or a slot receiver. The Z is usually (but again not always) the fastest receiver and often runs more vertical-oriented routes, typically in conjunction with an underneath receiver.

Chargers Against Slot Receivers

The Z is tougher to jam by the defense, but it also requires greater ability to read — and quickly defeat — different types of coverages. A good Z can discern between Cover 2 and Cover 3 from the safety alignment and adjust his route accordingly. That’s not something Callaway, who didn’t practice for over six weeks between an injury and his four-game suspension, got to develop before being rolled out in Week 5.

Los Angeles Chargers Slot Receiver

Hopefully for Callaway, moving him back to his old role will help him. He’ll now be backing up Odell Beckham Jr., and with Rashard Higgins’ likely return, his role figures to reduce significantly.