Chargers Daily Links: Lynn on the cusp of ‘hot seat’ rankings

Patrik Walker of CBS Sports writes a weekly rankings piece discussing just how how the seats are of the NFL coaches who are struggling the most right now in 2020. Of Walker’s top five, Anthony Lynn is not included, but he still deemed Lynn worthy enough of a “Dishonorable Mention”, noting that Lynn still has done enough, or lack thereof, to at deserve his own blurb at the end of the piece.

Here’s what Walker had to say about the Chargers head coach:

“The reality is the Chargers have been ravaged by injury and it’s not easy to overcome the loss of Derwin James, Mike Pouncey, Austin Ekeler and the like, and that’s a key driver behind the inability to get the job done this year in Los Angeles. But as has often been said, good head coaches figure out ways to win games despite it all, and it’s not simply that the Chargers are losing, it’s how they’re losing. The bottom line is Lynn hasn’t been able to close out games, and as the team sits at 2-7 on the year, they’ve now lost two games in overtime and are averaging a point differential of only minus-4.5 when they do lose. So yes, in maddening fashion, Lynn makes the Chargers hyper competitive, but not for entire games.”

Walker paints a clear picture here, although it’s fairly obvious on its’ own. Where do you settle on a coach who can’t win close games, but at least keeps it close on a weekly basis? After so many weeks of failing to turn the corner, how can fans continue to believe they’re “so close” before they start believing the “corner” is actually much further away than initially thought?

Like all things, time will tell. It’ll happen, or it won’t. Lynn will ultimately be remembered for the early success he brought to the Chargers, or the surprising free fall into the basement of the NFL.

Now for today’s links.

Chargers News:

Melvin Ingram was mic’d up against the Dolphins (Chargers.com)

Jets-Chargers game preview (Chargers.com)

Jason Reed discusses why Eric Bieniemy will not coach the Chargers in 2021 (Bolt Beat)

Four options to replace Gus Bradley as the Bolts’ defensive coordinator (Bolt Beat)

NFL News:

The Chiefs are signing CB Deandre Baker to their practice squad (ESPN)

Kyle Shanahan still backs Jimmy G as 49ers QB (ESPN)

Patrik Walker updated his coach hot seat rankings (CBS Sports)

Josh Edwards still holds Joe Burrow at the top of his rookie rankings (CBS Sports)

DeAndre Hopkins is the NFC Offensive Player of the Week (Pro Football Talk)

Gary Davenport published his Week 11 fantasy rankings (Bleacher Report)