San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
C’mon Lynn, the future is now
Sez Me …
Anthony Lynn, first trumpet in the band of The NFL Team That Used To Be Here — you know, the Judases/l.a. Lodgers/ Backup Singers — may blow sour notes playing the most important song of his career.
We’ll have to wait for the record to be released, of course, but what I’m hearing in rehearsal isn’t music to my ears.
The head coach said after last Sunday’s close loss to the Chiefs that, when “out indefinitely” regular quarterback Tyrod Taylor can return from his chest issues, he will start ahead of rookie No. 1 Justin Herbert, who made an unexpected freshman debut — and dazzled.
Herbert joined Otto Graham and Cam Newton as the only QBS to throw for 300 yards and rush for a touchdown in a rookie debut. Heady stuff.
Lynn said Taylor, who suffered a pregame injury when the team doctor punctured Tyrod’s lung trying to inject a pain killer for cracked ribs, “hasn’t done anything to lose his job.”
He wouldn’t be losing it. It would be taken away.
Lynn is a head football coach. Therefore, I won’t try to explain him. The impossible, as you know if you follow politics and head football coaches, cannot be explained.
Lynn is different than most. Sometimes I don’t know how he really likes his football — liberal or conservative — although he mostly leans to the right.
And that’s OK. But it’s always seemed to me the main job of any head coach is to put your team in the best position to win (which Lynn also blew when he failed to go on fourthand-1 in OT).
So you ask yourself: Are we in a better position to win with Taylor?
So you ask yourself: Would we have been that close to K.C. if Tyrod were the quarterback?
No. No.
This is what former quarterback Chris Simms, now an NBC analyst, had to say to Dan Patrick:
“He (Herbert) made plays Tyrod Taylor just wasn’t going to make. He certainly didn’t blink under pressure. … His throws and runs. I think the time is right to throw him in there and start the future.” As do I.
I don’t care about this yarn’s furtive background with shaky evidence. All I know is Herbert couldn’t have nightmared a tougher gig. The Judases were 8½-point dogs at “home” playing for the first time in their new rental against the Super Bowl champions (without thousands of their traveling fans).
And, from the moment Herbert walked on stage, he looked as though he’d been there before. Ice. He knew most of the script, blew a couple lines, true, left a few plays on the field, and made one big rookie mistake.
But what the hell? Patrick Mahomes wasn’t perfect.
Considering the opposition and circumstances, it’s hard to recall a more impressive first start for a rookie QB — certainly not in this franchise’s history.
Even Tony Romo gushed. When it comes to Hollywood splashes, there’s Esther Williams, Johnny Weissmuller and maybe Justin Herbert.
Herbert wasn’t drafted sixth overall because Tyrod is their QB of the future. Alas, coaches would rather risk their jobs on experience, and Taylor has that, and he’s not bad.
But Herbert played experienced.
He’ll start today vs. Carolina because Tyrod is out, but unless Justin completely screws things up, he should be the guy.
Lynn has to lean to the height. …
Story Goes: Dan Fouts suffered a similar injury in Oakland and went to the locker room. Team doctor E.
Paul Woodward cautiously was trying to find the right spot for injection on the chest. Finally, frustrated Dan put his finger where it hurt and said: “Right (bleeping) here, Paul! Right (bleeping) here!” ...
Will Tyrod sue? Remember what a bear does in the woods . ...
Lynn said one reason why he didn’t go for it fourth-and-1 in OT was Herbert hadn’t enough practice snaps in that situation, so it would have been unfair to him. Why? To hand off, as he did earlier on fourth-and-1 (when it apparently wasn’t unfair)? …
He also said it was more than a yard. It was exactly a yard . ...
If Lynn isn’t careful, his nose will grow to the length of
Mike Mccoy’s. …
The J’s rarely beat K.C., but they match up, and know how to semi-neuter Mahomes with four-man pressure (only way to beat him). They were better than the Chiefs physically and lost anyway. …
The play of the J’s bombed-out O-line was a secular miracle . ...
Has Age caught up with
Drew Brees? Maybe. Ever been in a race with Age? Age is juiced, faster than hell, and it can close rapidly. …
Ryan Fitzpatrick now has beaten the Jags with six different teams. A record certain to be broken. Perhaps by Ryan. …
Matters not if they’re playing the Giants, if the 49ers win today, I don’t want to hear about injuries anymore . ...
Stink O’ The Week Sezment: Uninformed NFL gravediggers. “Monday Night Football” ratings up 26 percent from second week of MNF in 2019. …
Stat-tastic: Since Russell
Wilson’s arrival, the Seahawks are 57-0 when leading by at least 4 points at halftime. …
If there is a 2020 football season, Aztecs will play in Carson (a fiscal mistake, in that there can be no fans). So I’m suspicious now. Wonder if our lovely stadium is deemed unsafe and nobody’s talking. ...
If God played tailback, He would run like Gale Sayers (except, of course, He’d never be tackled). …
If I could watch only one NFL running back, it would be Sayers, tied with Lance Alworth as the most photogenic player. An artist who couldn’t draw a straight line. And a good, generous man. RIP. …
The greatest backs all have had different styles and terrific vision. Closest I ever saw to Sayers was Reggie Bush ,in college. Check Sayers (Bears) and Bush (Trojans) highlight reels. The best. Fiction. …
Falcons had 39 points and no turnovers vs. Dallas and lost. Before that, teams with those stats were 440-0. …
Love college Saturdays — except for the officiating. …
Oklahoma, not OK. Kansas State played JVS. … Joe Burrow graduated . ... Vin Scully’s 1988 Dodgers World Series ring, widely considered the last one they will win, auctioned off for $188,000. …
Remember, the Pads didn’t enter the 1998 playoffs on a roll. It’s baseball. I wouldn’t bet a brass farthing on a baseball game. …
But they had their best arms in ’98. How many teams have had their two aces go down a week before the postseason? It’s baseball, but if
Mike Clevinger and Danelson Lamet can’t start, Cowles Mountain becomes Everest . ...
Tommy Lasorda turns 93, which means he’s in his 94th year of getting linguine and clams on the house . ...
I can remember when I wrote stuff into my desk calendar — other than doctor and dental appointments. …
The 2020 American Fitness Index makes San Diego the 11th-fittest American city. I’m thankful they didn’t go houseto-house . ...
Let’s have a debate for which a candidate cannot prepare. It’s called thinking on your feet . ...
Without comment, I’ll leave you with this visual: Imagine Don Coryell, wearing a mask, storming the sidelines.