Anthony Lynn Chargers – Syndication Server

Despite string of wins, Chargers HC Anthony Lynn’s job could still remain in jeopardy

Chargers fans still believe that Anthony Lynn should be gone at the end of the season.

After the worst loss in Chargers history to the Patriots in Week 13, coach Anthony Lynn’s seat was burning hot. But since then, the team has won their last three games, giving a reason to believe that Lynn should be retained.

Despite the outcome of the contests, the ongoing game management and play-calling blunders still haven’t been fixed, as seen in Week 16 against the Broncos.

On a drive where Los Angeles, converted on 4th-and-7, Lynn elected to kick a field goal on a fourth-and-goal from Denver’s two-yard line. Instead, Lynn settled on extending the lead from 13-3 to 16-3, rather than going up by three scores.

Another instance happened with a little less than two minutes remaining in the first half. On first down, a draw play was called. Lynn did not use one of his timeouts and let half of a minute run off the clock. Herbert completed back-to-back passes to move the Chargers close to midfield.

On the next play, he was sacked and fumbled for a loss of 20 yards. Lynn decided to let the final 36 seconds run out instead of using a timeout to attempt another play. Rather than regrouping and running another play to try to tally more points on the scoreboard, he was content with going into the locker room 13-0, which eventually was met by the Broncos later in the game.

But wait, there’s more. In the fourth quarter, Lynn punted on a 4th-and-1 from his 40-yard line when the Bolts had the lead, 16-6. After showing that he was bold enough to go for it on 4th-and-7 earlier on, it’s head-scratching to know that he wouldn’t attempt to go for what would have likely been the game-ensuing score in that situation.

Sure, the Chargers have won their last three games. But they have all been too close for comfort, as they have all been by at least three points, rather than being in a situation where it hasn’t had to come down to the final moments.

Even if Los Angeles beats the Chiefs in the season finale, this has happened far too often and many fans find it hard to believe that his poor handling and discipline in critical situations will be resolved beyond this season.

Colin Cowherd endorses idea of Chargers hiring Bill Belichick as next head coach

Would hiring Bill Belichick bring a Lombardi Trophy to Los Angeles?

The Chargers could be looking for a new head coach following this disastrous season of theirs.

There have been a few names that could possibly intrigue Los Angeles if they decide to pull the plug on Anthony Lynn, such as Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

But one name that was thrown into discussion by Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd that drew some attention of Chargers fans as well as the rest of general population was Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

“They’ve got a star quarterback and they’re in a crowded sports market. Justin and Belichick would sell tickets for a franchise who can’t sell tickets,” Cowherd said.

Cowherd believes that Belichick, who he sees leaving New England after this season, could be good fits for other teams like the Jaguars, Texans, or even the Bengals.

There’s no denying that Belichick would garner some buzz in the City of Angels. Belichick, who has a proven track record of winning, would be in a situation where he has the pieces to make a big run.

Quarterback Justin Herbert would have a coach that helped a guy develop into one of the best at his position, with that being Tom Brady.

But would the upper management of the franchise see Belichick as a good fit? Only time will tell, but if Lynn is gone, the vacancy will attract a lot of potential candidates.

What HC Anthony Lynn said following Chargers’ loss to Buccaneers

A lot of blame for the Los Angeles Chargers’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is being put on the coaching staff.

The Chargers dropped their third consecutive game on Sunday, losing to the Buccaneers by the score of 38-31.

Everything was in Los Angeles’ favor during the first half, as they led by 17 points at one point. However, miscues and a defensive meltdown backfired as quarterback Tom Brady orchestrated a major comeback.

The defense was stout in the first half, but they fell apart right out of the locker room. Brady was lights out, picking apart defenders at all areas of the field. As a result, he finished with 369 yards and five touchdowns.

Coach Anthony Lynn blamed the poor defensive performance on blown assignments, adding they gave up some explosive plays in the second half.

There were a few “what ifs” in this game and one them came with eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when L.A. elected to punt on 4th-and-1 at their own 34-yard line, down by four points.

Lynn said he considered going for it, but he thought he had enough time left on the clock to punt it away. Tampa Bay turned the punt into three points, as Brady led the team 72 yards down the field.

“When we have them against the ropes we need to learn to knock them out,” Lynn said. “We had a chance to win. You go out there and get your butt kicked sometimes that happens, but in these games, we had a chance to win these games.”

One of the very few positives from the game was rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, yet again. Herbert finished with 20-of-25 passing for 290 yards and three touchdowns.

“I thought he played well, but we lost the game,” Lynn said. Anytime we lose a game, it’s not good enough, so I can’t say someone played outstanding and we go out and lose the damn football game.”

Lynn went more in depth what how he felt about Herbert’s performance. “I thought he handled the situation we put him in well. He made some great throws early, we took some shots, he stood in the pocket, he got rid of the ball and that’s what good quarterbacks do.”

Lynn was non committal following the game, but he will have a tough decision to make over the next couple of days as he will have to announce the team’s starting quarterback moving forward, with Tyrod Taylor close to being completely healthy.

“I can’t answer that right now. My mind is still on this game.”

Chargers’ Anthony Lynn weary of proposed Rooney Rule changes

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn doesn’t agree with the proposed rule changes.

The NFL’s Rooney Rule could possibly be undergoing some changes. The league is wanting to reward teams who hire minority general manager and coaching candidates.

Here’s how the league is proposing to change the Rooney Rule, which mandates teams must interview minority candidates for top positions:

If a team hires a minority head coach, that team, in the draft preceding the coach’s second season, would move up six spots from where it is slotted to pick in the third round. A team would jump 10 spots under the same scenario for hiring a person of color as its primary football executive, a position more commonly known as general manager.

If a team were to fill both positions with diverse candidates in the same year, that club could jump 16 spots — six for the coach, 10 for the GM — and potentially move from the top of the third round to the middle of the second round. Another incentive: a team’s fourth-round pick would climb five spots in the draft preceding the coach’s or GM’s third year if he is still with the team.

The proposed rule addition raised eyebrows, including Chargers coach Anthony Lynn’s. Lynn is one of three African American coaches in the NFL. He was plain-spoken when talking about the change.

“I think sometimes you can do the wrong thing while trying to do the right thing,” Lynn said on CBS Sports Radio.

Lynn has a valid point, as this could make many believe that hires are only made because draft compensation comes along with it.

There are plenty of qualified minority head coaching candidates out there. The league should not need to belittle their hiring by awarding teams for abiding by the new rule.

Lynn concurs.

“I think that there are a lot of qualified African-American coaches that could be a head coach in this league, and I just pray that we do our due diligence and give these guys an opportunity,” Lynn said.

“There are some qualified applicants and they need an opportunity, and I think this is — out of desperation this is something that has been thrown out there.”

The proposal would require 24 of 32 votes to pass. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, commissioner Roger Goodell is among those who are in favor of the plan.