NFL PREVIEW: 2020 LAS ANGELES CHARGERS

BY ADAM GREENE

Key Additions: DT Linval Joseph (free agent), CB Chris Harris Jr. (free agent), RG Trai Turner (free agent), RT Bryan Bulaga (free agent), OLB Nick Vigil (free agent), WR Darius Jennings (free agent)

2020 NFL Draft: QB Justin Herbert, Oregon (round 1), LB Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma (round 1), RB Joshua Kelley, UCLA (round 4), WR Joe Reed, Virginia (round 5), S Alohi Gilman, Notre Dame (round 6), WR K.J. Hill, Ohio State (round 7)

Projected Offensive Starters: QB Tyrod Taylor, RB Austin Ekeler, WR Keenan Allen, WR Mike Williams, WR Andre Patton, TE Hunter Henry, LT Sam Tevi, LG Dan Feeney, C Mike Pouncey, RG Trai Turner, RT Bryan Bulaga

Projected Defensive Starters: LDE Joey Bosa, LDT Justin Jones, RDT Linval Joseph, RDE Melvin Ingram III, WLB Denzel Perryman, MLB Kenneth Murray, SLB Drue Tranquil, LCB Chris Harris Jr., RCB Casey Hayward Jr., SS Derwin James, FS Nasir Adderley

K: Michael Badgley

P: Ty Long

Head Coach: Anthony Lynn

2019 Record: 5-11, 4^th place AFC West

A Look Back: Last season wasn’t an outlier for the Chargers, it’s pretty much all you’re going to get as long as Lynn is the head coach. For whatever reason his name was left off most of the “should be fired” lists at the end of 2019 in spite of proving time and a gain he should be shown the door. He wasn’t the worst head coach in the NFL last season, but that’s just because Matt Patricia and Freddie Kitchens were in a pitched battle for that title. Still, finishing in third place in that race with Bill O’Brien right on your heels is no way to turn around a franchise.

Ironically, Lynn was 0-2 against Patricia and O’Brien last season. So maybe he’s a little further up the list than even I think.

If you look at the results of Los Angeles’ games last year, something will become very clear. The only reason they were ever in any contest, in spite of the strength of their roster, was Philip Rivers. In all 16 games of 2019, regardless of the Chargers’ opponent, Rivers was the leading passer. Think about that. Because there were two games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes in there. One game against the Houston Texans and Deshaun Watson. There was a match up with Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, Matt Stafford, two with Derek Carr and still, every time, Rivers led each game in passing yardage.

2020 Projection: And now Philip Rivers is gone. Rivers, along with Stafford from the Lions, should get together and sue the NFL for having their careers ruined by continuous horrid head coaching hires.

If Rivers, playing out of his mind, could not push this team over the hump with Lynn dragging him down, how in the world will Taylor come close to doing it? When Taylor does finally flame out, as he always does, how will Lynn help guide Herbert as a rookie?

If owner Dean Spanos cared about this team at all, he would have fired Lynn after last season. Hell, if he cared about them at all he would have never left San Diego.

2020 Projected Win Total: 5-11. If this team couldn’t win more than five games with Rivers at quarterback, there’s no way they top that with Taylor or Herbert. Frankly, five wins might be generous. As of today the Chargers notching less than 7.5 wins pays at +115, which is just stealing money. Make that bet right now. A wager on 5-9 wins pays at -180, but frankly, I’d look long and hard at that 0-4 victories paying at +375. That’s a hell of a parlay.

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