The plague of Mike McCoy

The head coach of the San Diego Chargers, Mike McCoy, is a plague for the Chargers organization and every fan that roots for them.

He is a disease to the locker room. McCoy is a pushover, nothing more than a yes man for the Spanos Family. This team has no will or fight to win games for him. It seems pretty clear.

No player comes to the defense of McCoy. He needs to be fired, no questions asked. The NFL is not a ‘what have you done for me’ league; it’s a ‘what have you done for me lately’ league. So I ask, for all Chargers fans: McCoy, what have you done for us lately?

I’m sure (based on your extremely dry and generic press conferences answers) you would say something like, “We didn’t execute,” or, “We have to go back and watch the tape.” So I’ll give you a straight answer: You have done nothing but bury this team into the ground and spread your lackluster, conservative culture on this whole organization. You are a thief, stealing from this organization, who provides little to no value at all.

Sep 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy (center) looks on from the sidelines during the second quarter of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Qualcomm Stadium. San Diego won 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Mike McCoy is coming off a 4-12 season last year and is on track to do about the same or worse this year (1-4 currently). He is a loser of 10 straight divisional games and 3-14 in games decided by eight points or less. I question if players on this team even respect him. In my opinion, it sure doesn’t look like it.

For the very few people who don’t believe firing McCoy should happen because “he isn’t fumbling the ball” or “he isn’t the one playing in the games,” I ask you, what has he done to keep his job? Convince me otherwise. It is his job to make sure the players are put in the best situation to succeed. It is his job to hold every person that steps on that field accountable–and he isn’t. The best example I can give you of McCoy in a nut shell happened this past weekend versus the Raiders on a 4th-and-1 decision for the game.

The most dangerous person is someone who has nothing to lose. On fourth down with a few minutes left in the game, McCoy had more to gain than lose going for it, and he still shriveled up like a coward and elected to play for overtime. What was McCoy thinking? I agree that position he was in for the game is situational. A 3-1 team fighting for the division probably kicks the FG there and plays for OT. A 1-3 team with nothing to lose and everything to gain in a must-win divisional game? YOU GO FOR IT. The season and your job is possibly saved by one single yard and you take the conservative approach.

Let’s run through a few hypothetical scenarios about the decision by McCoy:

Kicking the field goal: You elect to kick the FG, and it goes in. Score is tied at 34-34 with around two minutes left on the clock. What made McCoy think that the Chargers’ defense could stop the Raiders from getting in Janikowski range (which is anywhere after crossing midfield) and losing the game? The Chargers held the Raiders to nine total points in the first half and in the second half gave up 25 points. Based on history, we know how the story ends. Derek Carr moves the ball easily down field shredding our prevent defense, and a FG in the last seconds ends the game. Best-case scenario is we make the FG, tie it up, hold them and win in OT. Worst-case scenario is a problem with the snap, the defense doesn’t stop them or a missed FG. We lose the game and move to 1-4 (0-2 in division).

October 9, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers punter Drew Kaser (8) misses the snap on a field goal attempt in front of kicker Josh Lambo (2) during the fourth quarter against the Oakland Raiders at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Going for it on 4th-and-1: In my personal opinion, the clear-cut better option of the two, going for it on 4-and-1. If you get the first down here you control the clock and your destiny. You can take as long as you want to get into the end zone and win the game. More importantly, you put the game in your best player’s hand, Philip Rivers. Best-case scenario is you get the first down, take the whole clock and score a walk-off touchdown. With that win you move to 2-3 and win a much-needed game vs. a divisional rival on the road, and possibly keep your job this year. Worst-case scenario is you don’t get it, lose and go 1-4 on the year.

You see the difference? One scenario is playing to win a game, and the other is playing not to lose a game. That’s all coaching.

The reward is much greater by going for it in that spot. It’s about controlling your own destiny. I get it though, kicking the field goal is the right play most of the time there, but not in McCoy’s situation. I am willing to bet 99 percent of fans would have accepted a loss if we went for it, got the first down, but didn’t get in the end zone on the following drives. All you can ask for is the chance to win with your best player leading the way. Instead, McCoy showed no faith in Rivers and his offense and we lose it in disappointing fashion.

These are very common game management decisions from McCoy that we just don’t need anymore. We the fans pay hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars a year on this team, and for what? We aren’t winning and our head coach is a fearful softy. This city’s fans and players deserve better.

FIRE MIKE MCCOY because the culture hasn’t changed, we are regressing every year and, as fans, we deserve it. Firing McCoy midseason won’t turn our year around; we won’t instantly become a playoff team, but it will send a message that the Chargers are serious about staying in SD and winning. We currently know what this team is with McCoy, and it isn’t going to get better. Fire him after the Thursday night game against the Broncos, and let’s see what Ken Whisenhunt can do. We are 1-4, and to many looking like 1-7 soon after facing Denver twice and the Falcons.

I can’t stand to watch another game with the emotionless face of McCoy on the side line. I can’t stand watching one more press conference of McCoy. Most importantly, I can’t stand losing.

Make a change at head coach because it’s going to be done. There’s no getting around it. Give Whisenhunt more than half a year to work and decide in the offseason where we are.