Anthony Lynn, Chargers tune out the noise before hosting the Atlanta Falcons
INGLEWOOD — Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said his team would execute better after failing to protect a 17-point lead against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4. The Chargers responded by blowing double-digit leads against the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars in consecutive weeks.
Lynn said the team’s luck would eventually change after a last-second loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 8. A week later, the Chargers lost on the final play at home to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Lynn vowed the Chargers’ special teams would improve after a dreadful performance versus the Miami Dolphins in Week 10. He also said it was unacceptable how poorly his team executed during an embarrassing final drive against the Buffalo Bills in Week 12.
Then last week’s 45-0 drubbing at home against the New England Patriots occurred. The special teams unit got worse. Lynn described the shutout performance as embarrassing and unacceptable, echoing what he said a week earlier.
Lynn has often repeated himself this season because the 3-9 Chargers continue to get worse in many areas, adding to the long list of concerns for Lynn as a head coach. He’s been knocked the past two seasons for his late-game failures, conservative play calling and clock management, but he was still the strong motivator who rarely had his team in a lopsided game.
“I can’t remember the last time we lost by more than a couple scores,” Lynn said about the shutout loss to the Patriots.
As a head coach, Lynn is constantly asked by reporters to assess his players. That has changed with Lynn regularly evaluating himself in news conferences.
The time has come for actions instead of words.
The Chargers and Lynn desperately need encouraging results in the final four games of the season, starting with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
“This will be different and I’m going to see how we all respond (from the 45-0 loss),” Lynn said.
Lynn might be running out of words of encouragement, which could explain why he used Pearl Harbor as a way to motivate his coaching staff in preparation for the Falcons. That, of course, was received poorly on social media and by national pundits.
It was Lynn’s second consecutive head-scratching motivational tactic. Last week, many questioned Lynn for telling his team the playoffs probably won’t happen before being mathematically eliminated from postseason contention. The Chargers then proceeded to have their worst game in franchise history by margin of defeat, as they were eliminated from postseason contention.
With Lynn repeating himself without results and reaching for motivational tactics, many are wondering if his players have started to tune him out.
“I don’t see that in my players at all,” Lynn said. “At the end of the day, I say it because I believe it. I’m responsible for this operation and it’s a huge responsibility and I feel like I’m up for that responsibility. I don’t see my players losing confidence when I say that.”
The Chargers spent the week trying to tune out “the noise,” likely meaning questions about Lynn’s future and the changes that could come if he’s fired after the season.
“We know there’s noise as far as our future just us as a team,” Chargers running back Austin Ekeler said. “We acknowledge that and say, ‘OK, we can’t worry about that because that’s not going to affect how we play this week.’ What’s going to affect how we play this week is focusing on practice and getting back out there.
“We’re playing for our name on our back and the Chargers’ organization and each other right now. Our playoff run is gone. We’re doing it for each other and trying to build. Try to build something. Try to get something going in the right direction.”
Lynn has tried to build in the right direction the past two seasons, but he’s lost 20 of his past 28 games and his lone postseason appearance in 2018 has become a distant afterthought.
The Chargers will need to decide if they want to evaluate Lynn for his four years as head coach or focus on the disastrous past two seasons. Lynn led the Chargers to a respectable 9-7 record in 2017, despite the many obstacles that came from relocating to Los Angeles from San Diego. The following year, the Chargers won 12 regular-season games and defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round before being crushed by the New England Patriots in the divisional round.
The Chargers haven’t been the same since the postseason loss to the Patriots – and the latest meeting against them underscored the team’s decline.
“I thought we were ready,” defensive end Joey Bosa said when asked why the team struggles against the Patriots. “I felt great before the game. I thought we all felt pretty good. But we also did a few years ago when we were going to play the Patriots and that happened.
“It’s tough. You could be emotionally ready as you possibly can, but if you’re not ready with your scheme and you haven’t studied up on these guys, you’re gonna get beat, especially by the Patriots.”
It wasn’t a good look for Lynn when the Patriots lost to the Rams 24-3 on Thursday Night Football just four days after crushing the Chargers.
Lynn has shown he’s able to change his perception at a rapid pace. He was the likable head coach from “Hard Knocks” who stood with his players during nationwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality. Lynn was viewed as one of the best leaders in the NFL while many looked past the Chargers’ 5-11 record in 2019.
“I have people who have believed in me my whole life,” Lynn said. “I have a lot of mentors in this league. A lot of people in this (Chargers) building. I don’t have to look very far.”
Lynn is starting to lose his luster as a motivator, but like he said earlier this week, he’s been down before. He and the Chargers have four more games to pick themselves up.
“You have to tune out the noise,” Lynn said. “You have to continue to believe in yourself and the process and what you’re doing and the people around you. And that’s the only way you make it through tough times and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”