Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack, who increased his career-high sack total for a season to 17 with one against the Chiefs, tries to strip the ball away from quarterback Blaine Gabbert. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Where it all went wrong for the Chargers this season was the logical topic to discuss after players exited the field at SoFi Stadium — many likely for the final time with the team — following their season-ending 13-12 loss to the playoff-bound Kansas City Chiefs, who wisely kept their stars out of a meaningless game for them.
Did the Chargers’ season go off track even before it began, when they kept coach Brandon Staley after they had blown a 27-point lead over Jacksonville in an AFC wild-card round loss last January?
Did they mistake close losses early in the season for signs they were near a breakthrough, when they never really were?
They lost their first game by two points, their second by three (in overtime), and, after beating Minnesota and the Raiders, lost by three to Dallas.
Two more narrow defeats — a three-point loss to Detroit on Nov. 12 and another three-point gap at Green Bay on Nov. 19 — seemed to reinforce the notion they weren’t far from winning.
Read more: Chargers end miserable season in typical fashion, a loss to Chiefs in final seconds
That was shattered in their unconscionable 63-21 loss at Las Vegas on Dec. 14, which forced owner Dean Spanos to fire Staley and general manager Tom Telesco.
There were more questions than answers Sunday. It was a day of sadness, regret and reflection for a 5-12 team that started the season with optimism and finished with stud quarterback Justin Herbert on the injury list, an interim coach in Giff Smith, a five-game losing streak, and the certainty that the offseason will be marked by massive changes on and off the field.
“Very frustrating and disappointing. Not the way we planned it,” said safety Derwin James, who finished strong with a team-high eight tackles Sunday and a career-best 125…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/elliott-chargers-lament-failed-brotherhood-123046727.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-01-08 12:30:46
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
