LA Chargers: Reasons for and against firing Anthony Lynn

Reason for: Blowing leads and losing close games

It is easy to blame a coach in any sport for the failure of the athletes on the field. If a pitcher lets up a home run it is the manager’s fault that he could not see into the future and pull him before the home run. If a star player’s team underperforms then it is the coach’s fault that the supporting cast around the star player was not good enough.

If a football team blows multiple two possession leads in back-to-back weeks, it is absolutely the head coach’s fault.

Some would play devil’s advocate and say that it is not all to blame on Lynn. If Joshua Kelley does not fumble in Tampa Bay and Michael Badgley makes the game-winning field goal then the Chargers would be 3-2 and we would not even be having these conversations.

But at some point, there is a trend. It starts from the top and the culture of the team is established by the head coach. Yes, there are mistakes that are out of Lynn’s control, but it is Lynn’s coaching that is putting the team in a position where one missed kick or one fumble can cost an entire game.

It is not a mere coincidence that the Chargers always lose close games and seemingly always blow leads. If it was a handful of games then sure, a mere coincidence. It isn’t. The Chargers have lost 11 one-possession games over the last two years.

The Chargers have lost nine games since the start of the 2019 season by eight or fewer points, the most in the league. That is a trend, not a coincidence.