Special teams and final grades
George Stewart was demoted last week. It was a tough decision for Lynn considering that he’s a vet in the league and one of his mentors. There’s no doubt in my mind that it was the right decision for the future.
Did special teams actually improve though? Uh, no. Field position was still an issue as Ty Long shanked a punt early in addition to big kickoff/punt returns for Buffalo throughout the game. Michael Badgley even missed an extra point for the first time in a while.
In reality, no one should’ve expected a Stewart demotion to lead to a massive improvement given that it’s largely the same players. Barring some unforeseen changes, this is just how special teams is going to be for the rest of the season.
A note to keep in mind-the Chargers did bring in specialists to compete for special teams this week. No one knows whether much will come of it, but it certainly signals the team wanting to make changes in the offseason at the very least, if not during.
https://twitter.com/ZoneTracks/status/1332117060529360897
Offense: C
Defense: B+
Special Teams: D
The Bills never really beat the Chargers at many junctures in the game. The Chargers really outcoached themselves. From weird play-calling decisions to confusing Lynn moves, they never found a way to get the offense off of the ground. This also might’ve been Shane Steichen’s worst outing.
A speed option with Joshua Kelley with one yard to gain? Running after the Hail Mary? I don’t know man. There are glimpses of great ingenuity sometimes, but there are more weird decisions than there should be.
The defense played pretty well for what it’s worth. They were ultimately held back by bad linebacker depth, especially when Perryman went down. If the Chargers could stop the run at the second level, they probably would’ve won this game. That doesn’t invalidate the clinical performances from the secondary or Bosa though.