Chargers 2020 – Syndication Server

The Athletic ranks Chargers’ offense, defense heading into 2020 season

The Chargers’ offense was a bit disrespected.

The Chargers will have a slightly different look on the offensive side of the ball after losing quarterback Philip Rivers, running back Melvin Gordon and offensive tackle Russell Okung.

Los Angeles will start a new era at the quarterback position as Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert take over after Rivers and the franchise mutually agreed to part ways earlier this offseason.

There are plenty of questions in regards to how the quarterback play will shape up in Los Angeles. But the team’s skill players – which is led by Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Hunter Henry – should elevate it.

The offensive line, which has been the weakest line for years now, had a slight upgrade with the additions of tackle Bryan Bulaga and guard Trai Turner, along with the return of center Mike Pouncey.

How does their offense rank among the rest of the NFL?

The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia ranked all 32 team’s offenses, and Los Angeles finished near the bottom of the pack, coming in at No. 26 overall.

They’ll attempt one of the bigger scheme changes of any offense, going from the stationary Rivers to a quarterback-inclusive run game with Tyrod Taylor. The Chargers upgraded their offensive line, trading for Trai Turner and signing Bryan Bulaga, but they have one of the worst left tackle situations in the league. Given the drastic system change, they’re another team that figures to be hurt by the limited offseason. If things start off badly, there will be pressure to move on to first-round pick Justin Herbert.

The Chargers roster on the offensive side of the ball is talented, but it’ll all fall on the coaching staff’s shoulders to implement the best system to play to Taylor’s and Herbert’s strength in order to them into the most optimal position to succeed.

On the other side of the ball, there’s no denying that the unit is strong in all three levels. Led by Derwin James, Casey Hayward, Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, the defense finished as the No. 3 overall defense heading into the upcoming season.

L.A. will have more reinforcements on the defensive side of the ball to help become one of the top units in the NFL, including four-time Pro Bowler cornerback Chris Harris Jr, defensive tackle Linval Joseph and rookie linebacker Kenneth Murray.

Taking a big swing here, but there are legitimate reasons to be bullish about the Chargers’ defense. They were last in red-zone defense, last in short-yardage defense and produced turnovers at the fourth-lowest rate of any team last season. Those are areas that involve at least some luck and randomness, and the Chargers very well could bounce back. Their talent is better too. Safety Derwin James missed 11 games last season, and the Chargers signed Chris Harris Jr. to be their slot corner. First-round pick Kenneth Murray should offer an immediate upgrade at linebacker, and Linval Joseph is a savvy veteran addition at defensive tackle. Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram are among the top pass-rushing duos in the league. Scheme-wise, the Chargers played Cover-3 (a three-deep zone with four underneath defenders) at the highest percentage of any team last year. In interviews this offseason, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has acknowledged needing to incorporate more man and more split-safety looks. If there’s a defense that could make a 49ers-like leap this season, it’s the Chargers.

4 Chargers whose ‘Madden NFL 21’ ratings EA got wrong

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out the four Chargers players whose ‘Madden 21’ ratings were too low.

Here are four Chargers players whose ratings seem off in “Madden NFL 21.”

WR Mike Williams – Rating: 81

Keenan Allen was given a 91 overall rating, which seems just about right considering he is one of the best wide receivers in the game. But his partner in crime’s rating of 81 seems to be a bit off. He’s stacked up with wideouts like A.J. Brown and Michael Gallup when he should be in the same tier as Courtland Sutton, Jarvis Landry and D.J. Moore. His rookie season was riddled by an injury, but he has been the model of consistency since then. In 2018, the big-bodied target reeled in 10 touchdowns. He scored just twice in 2019, but he averaged 20.4 yards per reception, which was No. 1 in the league, and topped 1,000 yards for the first time. While Tyrod Taylor might not have the biggest arm, Justin Herbert does. If Herbert is under center, Williams will become a go-to target for the former Clemson product.

What it should have been: 85

Pages: 1234

Ranking 5 toughest games on Chargers 2020 schedule

The Los Angeles Chargers will experience some challenges during the 2020 season.

The Chargers have a fairly favorable schedule in 2020 as they look to bounce back after a disappointing 2019 season.

A new era starts at the quarterback position. However, the majority of the meat and potatoes of the roster stayed intact. Los Angeles added more ammo throughout the course of the offseason, too.

Even though they should pick up a handful of wins when examining their schedule, there will be some opponents along the way that could give them some fits.

With that being said, here are the Bolts’ 5 toughest games this upcoming season.

5. at Denver Broncos, Nov. 22

The Chargers will be going into this contest fresh off a bye week after nine weeks of action, but traveling to the Mile High City is not an easy task no matter the circumstances. Los Angeles has struggled against the Broncos in front of their home crowd in recent years, and now they are equipped with a roster that’s capable of contending for a playoff spot. Quarterback Drew Lock proved that he is capable as the starter, and the team rewarded him with more weapons this offseason with wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler. Joining running back Phillip Lindsay in the backfield is Melvin Gordon, who signed a two-year deal. Denver lost cornerback Chris Harris Jr., who is now a Charger. But they signed CB A.J. Bouye and safety Kareem Jackson.

4. at Buffalo Bills, Nov. 29

Right after playing the Broncos, the Chargers will have to travel to the east coast to take on the Bills. In what will be a really cold and hostile environment, Los Angeles will look to take out a Buffalo team who will be hungry for their first divisional birth since 1993. Led by quarterback Josh Allen, the Bills now have wide receiver Stefon Diggs as his main target. QB Tyrod Taylor – if he’s still under center at this point – will be looking to get revenge on the team that traded him. However, it won’t be easy as Buffalo boasts one of the league’s top defenses.

3. at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oct. 4

The Buccaneers wouldn’t be among the five teams listed if it wasn’t for the huge acquisition of quarterback Tom Brady earlier this offseason. The signing of Brady makes Tampa Bay a legitimate playoff contender, but coach Bruce Arians wanted to ensure that they weren’t to be taken lightly by adding tight end Rob Gronkowski, who came back from retirement to reunite with his former Patriot teammate. Protection for Brady is key, and they made sure he got that with first-round pick Tristan Wirfs. Their weren’t many changes to the defensive side of the ball, but they have a handful of strong pieces to not make it easy for opposing offenses.

2. at New Orleans Saints, Oct. 12

After facing Brady and company, the Chargers will go toe-to-toe with another one of the league’s best signal-callers in Drew Brees at the Superdome on Monday night. As Brees’ professional career is nearing an end, New Orleans is motivated as ever to hoist the Lombardi Trophy one last time. Aside from Brees, the Saints are stacked on both sides of the ball. The offense is highlighted by running back Alvin Kamara, wide receivers Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders and a strong offensive line. On defense, they’re equipped with play-makers at all three levels. Los Angeles will be playing in one of the most hostile environments, making it more of a challenge.

1. at Kansas City Chiefs, Jan. 3

The Chargers will face off against the reigning Super Bowl champions in the season finale, in front of their home crowd. This game could be the difference between playing beyond the regular season and watching from home. Los Angeles was swept by Kansas City last season, but they showed they were capable of taking care of business in front of their home crowd the season before that. The Chiefs will be hungry to win the division and another title once again, and their roster suggests that they can certainly do so. They return the majority of the players that helped defeat the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, but added into the mix is rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

POLL: How many games will Chargers win in 2020?

Will the Los Angeles Chargers turn things around after a disastrous 2019 season?

The Chargers’ 2020 schedule was finally released on Thursday.

Coming off a year that wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows as they finished 5-11 because of a combination of injuries and struggling to close out games, Los Angeles is eager to have a quick turnaround in the upcoming season.

With their schedule set in stone, we have more information to use in order to predict how this season might shake out for L.A.

Recently, I made my prediction, projecting the Bolts to finish with a 9-7 record. Even though we don’t know how the quarterback play is going to shape up after the departure of Philip Rivers, the talent on both sides of the ball should be able to elevate them.

So what do you think, Chargers fans? What do you make of the team’s success this season?

Weigh in on the Bolts’ win total in 2020 in the poll below.

[polldaddy poll=10549418]

Why Chargers’ Anthony Lynn should be back in 2020

There’s no question about it, Anthony Lynn should be leading the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020.

The Los Angeles Chargers did not have the season they were anticipating. Following a 12-win season and a trip to the playoffs, they weren’t even close to matching that the year after, finishing well below a .500 record.

The list of reasons why the Chargers underperformed could go on and on. From the injuries, to the close losses that were resulted from turnovers, to the blown coverages in the red zone and on third-down situations, the Bolts were unable to overcome those woes all season long.

When the win-loss ratio is seen, it’s easy to resort to the coaching as the main issue, which is why many fans want coach Anthony Lynn out of a job when the season concludes Sunday.

For those that want Lynn fired, it’s unlikely that it’s going to happen.

From when he was hired, the Chargers went 9-7 and 12-4 in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Within those two seasons, he built a culture that had not been established in this franchise for a plethora of years.

Fast forward to 2019, the results may have not met the expectations that were set prior to. But regardless of what the record indicates, players that were question marks are bought in, they’re playing with a purpose and the guys in the locker room believe he is their guy moving forward.

“We believe in him. This late in the season, to play with the energy that we played with the other night, we’re definitely behind the guy that’s in front of us. We definitely believe in what he’s preaching. And we definitely believe in how he communicates with us so that we can meet in middle grounds to take this organization where we need to go.

He’s by no means a guy that’s up front that doesn’t take into consideration the people below him. He always does. Anything that Anthony Lynn is putting out is something that we collectively have agreed upon. You just can’t ask for a better man in front than a guy that carries those characteristics,” safety Adrian Phillips said about Lynn.

“He’s a man of his word. He’s a man that you can hold accountable for what he says. That’s what you’re looking for in anybody that’s leading or in front, period. That characteristic right there. Can I hold you accountable for what you told us? And you can.

He’s a guy that we feel makes the moves that we need on this team to win. Whether they work or not, we know that the moves that he makes for this team are in great intentions, and that hasn’t always been the case in this organization,” defensive tackle Damion Square said.

You can question some of the in-game play-calling and decision-making as reasons why he should get canned, but the variables that occurred this season simply outweigh the concerns of Lynn and the rest of the coaching staff that may be seen.

There’s no denying that the roster of the Chargers is built to win. But with an offseason of acquisitions at positions of need, allowing the players to regain full health, the Bolts should be back to their winning ways in 2020, all with Lynn leading the team when they begin their new journey in SoFi Stadium.