ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum, an NFL front office insider, picked the Chargers to make Super Bowl LIX. Although Tannenbaum has the Bolts losing to the Lions, a Super Bowl appearance would be a huge feat, considering Los Angeles didn’t even make the playoffs this past season.
The Lions will benefit from both coordinators returning to Detroit after Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn each attracted head-coaching interest, and this time I expect the team to win the NFC Championship Game and win the Super Bowl. I see them holding off QB Justin Herbert, Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers in a close game.
Nevertheless, this is a not-so-far-fetched pick by Tannenbaum for a few reasons. Under head coach Jim Harbaugh, the franchise will continue to undergo several necessary transformations to become a winning team. Harbaugh is known for working his magic on struggling programs and guiding them to championships in short amounts of time. So that’s the first reason for defending Tannenbaum’s pick on the Chargers making next year’s Super Bowl.
Any person who understands football knows quarterback Justin Herbert is talented. He is the face of the franchise, and quite frankly, he has never been the problem. Unfortunately, the talent around him, or lack thereof, is.
The Bolts will need to make certain roster improvements at cornerback, offensive line and running back if they want to earn their trip to the Super Bowl. Los Angeles has the fifth overall pick in the draft, which could help bolster their roster to a championship caliber. As free agency approaches, the front office will need to make some smart decisions on which players to keep and which to be willing to move.
The AFC needs a new top dog and it might be the Chargers’ time to fill that role.
