The Chargers battled through another season filled with ups and downs. What were the key takeaways from LA?
2020 record: 7-9
- Division record: 3-3
- Record against teams with winning records: 1-5
Year one of the Justin Herbert era may have not led to a winning season, but the promise and potential it built for Charger fans was massive.
This was not an easy season for the Chargers, as they once again had to deal with crushing losses and an inability to finish. Anthony Lynn was fired as a result of a season that felt like more of the same.
As I alluded to earlier, the Chargers were still able to find hope in the emergence of their two 1st round draft picks. We’ll get to Herbert a little later, but Kenneth Murray also emerged as a major contributor for this team.
Murray led the team with 107 tackles and played the most snaps of anyone on the Charger defense. He filled an immediate need for the roster and helped lay the foundation for the new core that is being built up in LA.
Team Ranks:
| Total Offense | 9th (6113 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 6th (4329 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 18th (1784 yards) |
| Total Defense | 10th (5495 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 9th (3578 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 18th (1917 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 18th (24.0) |
| PPG Allowed | 23rd (26.6) |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 32nd |
| Football Outsiders (Adjusted run yards) | 29th (4.00) |
| Football Outsiders (Adjusted sack rate) | 12th (6.1%) |
| 2020 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 58.7% |
| Rush – 41.3% |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2020 |
| 1. Joey Bosa EDGE (90.2) |
| 2. Corey Linsley C (86.4) |
| 3. Keenan Allen WR (84.9) |
| 4. Justin Herbert QB (79.9) |
| 5. Austin Ekeler RB (77.0) |
Leading Passer: Justin Herbert
- 4,336 passing yards
- 36 total touchdowns (31 passing)
- 10 interceptions
Leading Rusher: Austin Ekeler
- 933 yards from scrimmage
- 3 total touchdowns
- 4.6 YPC
Leading Receiver: Keenan Allen
- 100 receptions
- 992 receiving yards
- 8 touchdowns
Defensive MVP: Joey Bosa
- 7.5 sacks
- 15 tackles for loss
- 27 QB hits
How long did they hang in the playoff race until?
Week 10. Despite the competitive games, the Chargers were not able to close out games early on. This led them to a 2-6 record and a matchup against the Dolphins with the season on the line.
Most NFL pundits will agree that Herbert outshined Tua Tagovailoa in their first year as pros. But on this day, Tua led his team to a comfortable victory over the Herbert and the Chargers.
A big reason for this outcome was the opening series in which the Chargers went 3-and-out, but had their outgoing punt blocked which led to a 7-0 deficit in just 3 minutes. After this the Chargers were playing catch-up and were not able to save their season in the end.
Story of the season: Emergence of Justin Herbert
For the Chargers organization, this season played out like many have in recent years. They played in 12 one-possession games in 2020 and had a 5-7 record in those games.
Since 2019, they have led the NFL in one possession games with 23 and have a 7-16 record overall. This inability to finish off games seemed to be one of the main reasons for letting go of HC Anthony Lynn.
So while this season played out like other difficult Charger years, there is a more important story for the Chargers. and the NFL. Justin Herbert played at a high level starting from his first game against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Herbert broke out as one of the premiere young QB’s in the league throwing for over 4000 yards and winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Chargers now have a situation where they have a highly capable QB on a rookie deal for the next 3-4 years.
Teams like the 2017 Eagles, 2018 Rams, and the 2019 Chiefs all have been able to take advantage of the light rookie QB deal and make Super Bowl runs. Will the Chargers be the next in line?
