FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — If things had worked out differently, wide receiver Ladd McConkey might have been standing on the New England Patriots’ sideline Saturday at Gillette Stadium, watching Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert shred his defensive teammates during a 40-7 victory. Instead, McConkey set Chargers rookie records for receptions and receiving yards in a season Saturday. He caught eight passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his season totals to 77 receptions and 1,054 receiving yards, breaking Keenan Allen’s marks of 71 catches and 1,046 yards in 2013. McConkey is one touchdown shy of Allen’s rookie record of eight. When the Chargers jettisoned Allen and Mike Williams in a pair of cost-saving moves during the offseason, new General Manager Joe Hortiz had the notion of selecting a standout wide receiver near the top of his to-do list going into the draft. Hortiz picked right tackle Joe Alt with his first-round pick. Hortiz then made what seemed at the time like a minor move. He swapped his second-round pick for the Patriots’ second-round selection, moving up from 37th to 34th to take McConkey, a standout from the University of Georgia. Hortiz added the 137th overall pick as a sweetener to complete the trade. So, it was that McConkey torched the team that ended up trading him. “No extra motivation or anything like that,” McConkey said, laughing when asked about facing the Patriots for the first time since the draft back in April. “I was excited to get drafted. I didn’t care that I got traded. I’m right where I’m supposed to be. It’s a cool moment. I’m glad they drafted me.” McConkey recalled he met with the Chargers only briefly during the Senior Bowl. He didn’t have any inkling that they would have any special interest in drafting him. Little did he know how easily he would mesh with his teammates, and especially Herbert, who has called him a “quarterback’s best friend.” “I always believed in myself, but I didn’t know,” McConkey said of his mindset going into his rookie season. “I didn’t know. Obviously, I wanted to get as many yards as I could and contribute as much as I could. In a sense, I really didn’t think about this, but it is pretty cool. I feel like it just developed.” EXTRA POINTS Derwin James Jr. sacked Patriots quarterback Drake Maye twice and recovered Maye’s fumble, one of several stellar defensive players Saturday. Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu also sacked Maye once apiece. The Chargers limited Maye to 12 for 22 passing for 117 yards and one touchdown. … Related Articles Los Angeles Chargers | Chargers thrash Patriots to clinch AFC wild-card berth Los Angeles Chargers | Chargers find themselves on the cusp of becoming a playoff team Los Angeles Chargers | Chargers at New England Patriots: Who has the edge? Los Angeles Chargers | Chargers’ RB room gets thin: Gus Edwards out, J.K. Dobbins questionable Los Angeles Chargers | Chargers QB Justin Herbert earns raves for ‘zero gravity throw’ vs. Broncos Cameron Dicker kicked field goals of 27, 38, 41 and 35 yards for the Chargers. He accounted for the only points in their 6-0 victory last season over the Patriots, a game played in a steady downpour that limited the Chargers’ offenses to only two successful possessions. … Wide receiver Joshua Palmer suffered a heel injury and didn’t return to the game. He was walking with the aid of crutches after the game. Defensive back Elijah Molden departed the game on a cart after suffering a shin injury on a non-contact play. Molden wore a walking boot after the game.