The Chargers successfully out-Charger the Jaguars
The Chargers have somehow found another tragic way to lose, adding to their ever-increasing collection of mind-boggling losses.
I usually write something along the lines of a “Top 5 Takeaways” format for these Chargers games. The good and bad of the game, summarized in five points. But I feel like this week may require a different approach.
It’s mind-boggling at this point to be honest. Every week, it seems like I come back and say, “The Chargers have never lost a game quite like that.” We all remember the missed Younghoe Koo kicks or Philip Rivers tossing three picks in the first quarter.
But this game was a whole different animal. The Chargers had the game sealed seemingly 3 different times. Two Blake Bortles’ interceptions at the end should have iced the game. But it’s the Chargers, and the game is never over.
I want to just blame the endings on some supernatural curse. But it’s deeper and much more tangible. There’s just such a profound lack of execution. Tyrell Williams dropping a TD, Tre Boston dropping the easiest pick-six anyone in an NFL secondary will ever see, Austin Ekeler fumbling after having a career game, Drew Kaser botching a punt to give the Jags field position after having a terrific season and a critical Joey Bosa roughing the passer. I still don’t quite know what to make of it all.
This is one of the worst Chargers’ offenses I’ve ever seen in my time watching the team. It feels like it’s easier to have all of your teeth pulled than it is for this team to crack 20 points. The offense makes me feel profuse sympathy for the defense, who played about as well as they possibly could have. Someone’s gotta go in this equation here. I’ve never seen the Chargers’ offense looks this terrible, even last year. Ken Whisenhunt, Anthony Lynn, Rivers, whoever you want to blame here. I’d probably go Whisenhunt, but man, it’s a disaster.
Bortles ended the game twice. The game was over. The Chargers are the only team to find a way to mess that situation up quite like that. It was these types of losses that lost Mike McCoy his job.
The defense is amazing. The offense is one of the worst I’ve seen from a Rivers-led Chargers team. The special teams, other than Kaser, is a full-blown disaster. A 56-yard TD on a fake punt? It’s just shockingly bad.
The worst part is that I don’t know what the answer is. Fire Lynn? Yeah, we just fired McCoy last year. Fire Whisenhunt? Maybe, but who do we get in his place? Draft a QB to replace Rivers? What if he’s not good? Make DC Gus Bradley the coach? Did you see what he did to Jacksonville’s offense? Get an offensive line that can block? Yeah, like Tom Telesco will be able to do that.
As I just said, I don’t know what to do to make the team significantly better and take them to the next level. I don’t know how you get the team to finish in the fourth quarter. There’s many routes this team can go. And while the team sure is alive in the playoff hunt with how mediocre the AFC is, it just seems like they can’t get it done, no matter how close they are to being a wild card team, or a division champ. A great team mired in mind-blowing mediocrity in some aspects.
OVERALL:
The Chargers fall to a measly 3-6 when they had a chance to get back to 4-5. Sure, they’re still in the playoff picture to try to get a wild card spot and hell, they’re still in the division to being only three games out in all reality. I just think this team is burnt out from all the losing already and isn’t going to rebound in some massive way, even if they aren’t as bad as their record indicates.
Unless something massively changes in the next couple games, I’d imagine we’re getting ready for some pink slips to be written.