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.