Comedy of errors awaits Raiders
Time is running out on the Los Angeles Chargers and their coach, Anthony Lynn. A wiseacre might say neither has even noticed.
At 4-9, the Chargers have long fallen out of postseason contention. The more pressing issue down south has been the team’s embarrassing clock management, which seems to occur on a weekly basis as the losses pile up.
Twice in the last three weeks, the Chargers’ trouble with time has shockingly prevented them from scoring twice — once at the end of a half, and once at the end of a game.
The only time in the last three weeks the Chargers weren’t beaten by the clock was when the Patriots handed them their most lopsided loss in team history, 45- 0.
But even the pounding by the Patriots included head- scratching special teams plays when the Chargers, who had just re- assigned their special teams coach and had Lynn helping out, twice had just 10 players on the field and once had 12.
The Chargers, to their credit, did show resiliency Sunday. Kicker Michael Badgley, who’s already missed 10 kicks this season, blasted a 43-yard field goal to beat the Falcons as time expired.
Lynn, one of the more likable coaches in the game, took a poke at himself after the game-winning kick.
“I think we had 11 guys on the field this time,” he joked.
Here’s a closer look at the Raiders’ prime time game against the Chargers:
Three reasons for Raiders’ optimism
A BANGED-UP LINE » The struggles for right tackle Bryan Bulaga and right guard Trai Turner, the Chargers’ high-priced offensive line additions, continued Sunday when both left the game in the second half to be evaluated for concussions. The Raiders’ chances of pressuring Justin Herbert will increase should either Bulaga or Turner — or both — miss Thursday’s game.