LA Chargers: Pop Quiz on 2020 Chargers, champs or chumps?
By Dennis J. Hassell
Here are six questions you can answer for yourself on the 2020 LA Chargers. Are you predicting the Chargers will be champs or chumps?
As the physically-distanced NFL Draft starts on Thursday, now is a good time to speculate on the 2020 chapter for the LA Chargers, a story which, if a movie, you might call “SoFi’s Choice“. Because the Chargers’ HQ decisions may be life and death for the franchise.
In the spring of 2018, in my first article for Boltbeat, I claimed the Chargers would be substantially better — and they went 12-4 after 9-7. This spring, I won’t claim that.
Stats are the red meat of sportswriting, but the stories are the sizzle. The Chargers’ storyline in LA is about to take big plot twists, due to huge unanswered questions
You are invited to respond in Comments at bottom, with your predictions, “Yes” or “No”, to these..
Top Six Questions
1. Yes or No: Will the stunning SoFi Stadium generate a meaningful number of prospective LA fans? A positive outcome for the LA Chargers’ viability in LA’s sports market relies on the answer to this and the next question:
2. Yes or No: Will the Chargers make the 2020 playoffs? The answer rests in meeting the following challenges:
3. Will the Bolts fix the chronic weakness of the offensive line (make top-10 Pass Protection)? Management started last season trumpeting their confidence in their starting five — three of which will now likely be gone by training camp. Free-agent signings to date are encouraging, but left tackle is still a glaring deficiency.
However, we know coach Lynn likes a dominant run game. If you read in season that the Chargers’ O-line ranks in Top 10 for pass protection, jump on the bandwagon.
However, if you read that Trent Scott or fellow parking pylon Dan Feeney are starting in September, pull the ejector seat lever.
4. Will their starting quarterback(s) generate better stats than 2020 Philip Rivers? Let’s omit total passing yards and turnovers as stats that QBs inflate when playing from behind. Answer Yes or No just going on pass completion %, and QBR.
5. If the Chargers are chumps again, will GM Tom Telesco and Head Coach Anthony Lynn get fired? The Spanoses are historically loyal (or stubborn) with GMs. But with head coaches? Head coach Marty Schottenheimer, (W-L 59%), lasted five years and his successor, Norv Turner (58%), lasted six years, Mike McCoy in four years totaled a W-L of only 42%.
Current head coach Anthony Lynn is at 54% and this is already year four for Lynn. Aside from pro bowlers Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram and Casey Hayward; even the long snapper, even the stadium(s) post-date Lynn’s arrival, this is Lynn’s ship, his hand-picked crew. So the captain may be going down with his ship.
6. If the LA Chargers’ revenues become a dumpster fire, will the next chapter for the Chargers organization be Chapter Eleven: bankruptcy protection?
These plot points in the storyline of the Chargers have intrigue, and I think #6 could become a national story: shots of empty seats and visitors’ fans could confirm the fatal financial consequences of the costly divorce between San Diego and the Chargers.
My predictions are “No, no, no, no, no, no.” What’s yours?
Looking at tight end options beyond 2020. Next