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“Chargers Win-Thank Goodness for Smart Guy Head Coaches”

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For one night, and for this morning…the Chargers feel good about themselves.

They got a win, continuing their effort to put themselves back into the AFC-wildcard race.

They ripped apart a Buffalo Bills team, putting on a dazzling display of defense, and unleashing Keenan Allen and Melvin Gordon on the offensive side of the ball.

The Chargers caused the 54-24-beat down, but they had help.

Just like a couple of other wins the Chargers got, they had help too.

Stupid head coaching decisions by head coaches on the other sideline. Game time decision, game planning decisions, likely reasons why the Chargers may have been given 3-gifts that turned into victories.

Buffalo’s rookie coach Sean McDermott, upset at the poor play of his offense, in back to back losses, decided to bench starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor.

Yes scoring and offensive output was down. And yes, Taylor threw for just 56-yards into the third quarter last week, when he was benched.

But in going to rookie Nathan Peterman, a 5th round draft pick, the Bills threw the kid QB to the wolves, Joey Bosa-Melvin Ingram.

The end result was 4-interceptions on his first 9-passes. 5-interceptions overall in a deplorable first half. The kid QB overwhelmed with all the things he was seeing across the line of scrimmage.

All that led to good field position for the Bolts, two defensive touchdowns from the Chargers, and an outright slaughter on a Sunday.

This loss is pinned on a stupid move by a rookie coach. Taylor came back and played well in the 2nd half, but his team was buried by then..

What Buffalo did equalled the foul ball decisions of two other coaches made in early season games the Chargers wound up winning.

You do remember the win in New York against the Giants. The game in which New York led 9-0 into the second quarter, only to have head coach Ben McAdoo start throwing the ball, exposing Eli Manning to hits, sacks, turnovers.

The Chargers won the game, but really McAdoo hand delivered it to them. When he changed his game plan, even with the LA defense on its back heels and reeling. The Chargers won, the Giant lost.

And ditto in a Bolt win over the Raiders up in Oakland. QB-Derek Carr, just coming off an injury, ran a 5-yard, short passing offense. Keep the game close to the vest, don’t expose Carr to hits.

But close to the vest does not work with Philip Rivers on the other sideline. The Chargers did just enough to win. Oddly the next weekend, the Raiders came out throwing , hit big plays, torched a team and win.

Add in some play calling, in which teams don’t attack the Chargers shortcoming, covering tight ends, crossing patterns etc. It makes you wonder what game films coaches look at in determing game plans.

So the Chargers are (4-6) heading to Dallas for Thanksgiving day.

But reality is 3-of those wins were gift wrapped by opposing coaches.

Makes you think of Kyle Shanahan’s play calling faux-pas last year in the Super Bowl.

Head coaches, smart guys, well not everywhere in the NFL.

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