How the Los Angeles Chargers can win the AFC West in 2020
1. Season-long productive and efficient quarterback play.
He was the fourth overall pick in the 2004 draft by the New York Giants and via a swapping of rights, wound up with the Chargers. Quarterback Philip Rivers became the team’s full-time starter in Week 1 of 2006 and did not miss a game for 14 consecutive seasons. That’s a combined 224 regular-season contests, along with 11 postseason tilts, all as the club’s starting signal-caller.
But the team opted to go in a different direction when Rivers’ contract expired at the end of 2019 and he signed on with the Indianapolis Colts.
The fiery veteran comes off a year in which he completed 66 percent of his passes for 4,615 yards and 23 corps. But he also was picked off 20 times and lost three of his eight fumbles, meaning he had just as many touchdown tosses as turnovers (23).
Anthony Lynn’s team can’t afford to have a similar performance in 2020. Veteran Tyrod Taylor is apparently the starter for now but general manager Tom Telesco did use the sixth overall pick in April on Oregon prospect Justin Herbert.
Next. 2021 NFL Draft: Steelers turn page at QB in mock. dark
Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (41), Carolina Panthers (35) and New York Giants (33) committed more turnovers than the disappointing Los Angeles Chargers (31). Head coach Anthony Lynn (via LZ Granderson of the Los Angeles Times) must find a way for the team to be much more efficient when it comes to the play behind center.