LA Chargers: 5 reasons Tyrod Taylor can take Bolts to playoffs

Reason No. 2: A significant increase in mobility for Chargers

Despite running for a first down in the 2019 playoff game versus the Baltimore Ravens, Philip Rivers was no Lamar Jackson. It’s not his fault, as he’s the product of another era. Quarterbacks weren’t expected to be mobile in the early 2000s. It was OK to be a stiff tree in the pocket then, but the game has changed.

Look at the 2020 AFC playoff teams. The aforementioned Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and Josh Allen are all mobile quarterbacks for their respective teams. Ryan Tannehill can move around when he needs to. The only fully immobile quarterback in that field was Tom Brady.

There’s certainly been a shift in the league towards mobility, and that has to benefit Taylor’s chances to make an impact on the offense to some degree. Taylor averaged 521 rushing yards in his three Buffalo seasons. It certainly seems like it’s going to be a focus of head coach Anthony Lynn and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen in designing this offense.

Another advantage of being mobile is that it gives the Chargers a little more margin for error on the offensive line. The left side is not as good as the right side when evaluating the changes the team has made in the offseason. The line will be better than it was last year, but it is still missing that elite left side. If Taylor can keep plays alive and evade pressure better than Rivers, it gives the offensive line some help.

Oh, and here’s a fun stat: Taylor posted a faster 40-yard time than any of the AFC playoff quarterbacks except Jackson.

Let T-Mobile run around the field.