A New Head Coach Needs to Adjust the Chargers' Offensive Philosophy
After yet another disappointing, injury riddled season, the Chargers are again at home for the playoffs. Head coach Mike McCoy has thankfully been relieved of his duties as the franchise could be entering a massive transition period with a move to Los Angeles potentially in the cards.
2016 was not a complete disaster as multiple young players emerged as key long term pieces. On offense, Melvin Gordon III really came into his own as a franchise caliber running back while Tyrell Williams and Dontrelle Inman took full advantage of Keenan Allen’s injury and Malcom Floyd’s retirement. At tight end, Hunter Henry also showed flashes of why he will be able to easily replace Antonio Gates’ production once the Chargers’ legend finally decides to hang up his cleats.
Since taking over the starting quarterback job back in 2006, Philip Rivers has been the starting point of everything San Diego does on offense. The former fourth overall pick has racked up over 300 touchdowns in powder blue and could have a case to finish his career in Canton. However, at 35 years old, Rivers’ age is beginning to show on the field. He did throw for almost 4400 yards this past season, but he also threw a career high 21 interceptions. The Chargers’ offensive line has been doing him no favors the past few seasons, but asking Rivers to carry the Chargers offense may no longer be the team’s best solution.
Thankfully, the Chargers do happen to have a tremendous running back in the form of Melvin Gordon III. Injuries to Danny Woodhead and Branden Oliver forced Gordon to handle a huge workload in 2016, but this gave him a tremendous opportunity to develop as a player. The second-year man finished the season three yards short of the 1000 yard mark to go along with 419 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns. Gordon was unable to hit his stride during his rookie season, but a strong sophomore campaign has justified Gordon’s draft status as a first round pick and franchise cornerstone.
Despite Gordon’s breakout season, there were numerous times this season where he was underutilized due to McCoy’s insistence on attacking through the air. Most notably, in the game against Tampa Bay, Gordon averaged 4.9 yards per carry yet only finished the game with 17 rushes. Instead of pounding the ball on the ground with Gordon to close out a game the Chargers were leading throughout, the Chargers turned to the air where Rivers threw two interceptions and completed only 57.7% of his passes for 225 yards. With a new head coach soon entering the fold, it is vital that these head scratching game plan decisions do not continue.
Although he should not be tasked with playing 85+% of the snaps, Gordon needs to become the focal point of the Chargers’ offense for the foreseeable future. Rivers’ age is beginning to show and while he is still a more than capable quarterback, the Chargers need to become a run first team. Gordon will be entering the prime of a running back’s career at 24 years old in 2017. Rivers, on the other hand, is entering the back end of his career where he should not be asked to carry an offense over the course of a full season.
Two key issues could arise with this philosophical change: the offensive staff is expected to return in 2017 and the Chargers’ offensive line is by far the team’s weakest position group. Despite McCoy’s firing, the Chargers have made it clear that they do not want to make wholesale changes to all phases of the team this offseason. That means offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt will likely be returning for at least one more season with the Bolts. Whisenhunt is not a bad offensive coordinator and he has preached run-pass balance in the past, but his play calling in 2016 was questionable at times. If the Chargers want to become a true run first offense, whichever head coach the Bolts hire will need to be on the same page with Whisenhunt. The former Tennessee Titans’ head coach is creative enough offensively to keep the Chargers effective without a top five quarterback, but changes will need to be made from the questionable decisions of 2016.
Another key issue with this transition is the offensive line. Sans Matt Slauson, the Chargers’ offensive line was disgraceful in 2016. King Dunlap, Orlando Franklin, D.J. Fluker, and Joe Barksdale all graded out as below average or worse according to ProFootball Focus. To make matters worse, each of those players are veterans, meaning that their recent performance is simply who they are at this point in their career (except for Barksdale who may just have had a down year). In a division such as the AFC West where each team has a dominant pass rusher, offensive line play is vital. The Chargers badly need to make some serious upgrades along the line this offseason or else the team will have no chance to realistically compete in 2017. Starting with the number seven overall pick in the draft, offensive linemen need to be GM Tom Telesco’s number one priority this spring.
Despite an underwhelming 5-11 finish which included one of the worst losses in recent memory to the 0-14 Cleveland Browns, the Chargers actually have the talent to make the playoffs in 2017. If the team could finally avoid the injury bug for just one season and improvements are made along the offensive line, the Bolts have a very strong core group that could challenge for a double digit win total. However, a lot needs to happen this offseason, most notably a philosophical change on offense.
Philip Rivers has carried the Chargers’ franchise for a decade now but his age is showing and the Chargers have a legitimate top 10 back in Melvin Gordon. This does not mean Rivers will not be a key part of the team, but asking him to throw the ball 35-40 times per game needs to be a thing of the past. The Chargers need Rivers to become a ball control quarterback who does not turn the ball over and completes the passes he is supposed to. The primary onus of the offense would then be placed on Gordon, and the defense would also have additional responsibilities to keep the Chargers from needing to come from behind. Things appear to be heading in this direction with primarily defensive assistants earning the first round of head coaching interviews. Hopefully this trend continues and the Chargers hire a coach who is willing to transition the offense into the hands of Melvin Gordon in 2017 and beyond.
