Broncos keep another Chargers disappointment to pair with Joe Lombardi
By Jason Reed
The biggest disappointment for the LA Chargers in 2022 did not happen on the field. Instead, it happened in the coaching booth as offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi ran an ineffective offense that limited what the Chargers could do despite having Justin Herbert under center.
As a result, Lombardi was let go from his position shortly after the Chargers blew a 27-0 lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Wild Card Round. Lombardi eventually found a new home, joining Sean Payton's staff as the offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos.
Lombardi shouldn't have as much control in Denver as he had in Los Angeles with Payton leading the way offensively. That being said, Chargers fans still enjoyed seeing Lombardi join the Broncos as they saw firsthand how bad his offense could look.
Lombardi is not the only disappointment from the 2022 Chargers that is with the Broncos organization in 2022. After waiving him ahead of Tuesday's deadline, the Denver Broncos have signed wide receiver Michael Bandy to the practice squad. For those who may have wiped their memory clean, Bandy and Lombardi together botched a horribly called jet sweep against the Jaguars that arguably cost the Chargers the game.
And then the third-and-1 jet sweep at the end of the first half with Michael Bandy, who hasn't taken a handoff since college. Bandy doesn't think he's getting the football and actually turns to avoid the exchange! He recovers the fumble, but the Jags score off the punt. pic.twitter.com/6oHhEs64at
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) January 15, 2023
What makes this even worse is that Bandy admitted after the fact that he did not even know he was getting the football. Just a calamity of errors all around that perfectly encapsulated what was an inefficient offense last season.
Joe Lombardi and Michael Bandy aren't the first Chargers disappointments the Broncos have signed
The most notable former Charger that the Broncos have brought in recently is Melvin Gordon. Gordon's holdout made him one of the most unpopular former Chargers in recent years. He was fine for the Broncos but was not worth the money the team paid. Now he is struggling to find a consistent home in the NFL.
Gordon was despised for a completely different reason but it is safe to say that Chargers fans are not happy with Lombardi and Bandy. Bandy doesn't quite get the same vitriol but it is hard to get over what he did in the playoffs last season.
If Bandy is active when the Chargers play the Broncos then he will definitely get some boos at SoFi Stadium, as will Lombardi. If the pair really wanted to irk Chargers fans, they would call a jetsweep to Bandy.
But with how it has gone in the past, that might actually end up helping the Chargers.
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