Anthony

Lynn

Lynn, a former Chargers head coach who has served as an assistant head coach in San Francisco over the past two seasons, will head up a Washington run game that ranked in the middle of the league in rushing success rate and EPA in 2023. Lynn’s hiring could be a sign that the Commanders, one of the pass heaviest offenses last season, are going to emphasize the run game in 2024. Brian Robinson, who in 15 games had 733 yards and five touchdowns on the ground in 2023, profiles as Washington’s lead back.

What this means going forward is anybody’s guess, but the former Chargers head coach spoke with the team on Wednesday and followed the interview up with another conversation just hours later. Lynn is known around the league as a conservative play caller who specializes in the run, which would make him a near-perfect fit for a Commanders team that wants to emphasize the run game in 2023.

Lynn, a former head coach for the Chargers and offensive coordinator for the Lions, will get a crack at the Washington OC gig as the team tentatively commits to Sam Howell at quarterback. Detroit was 22nd in yards and 25th in points when Lynn was fired as coordinator in 2021. A hyper-conservative play caller, Lynn’s hiring could signal a run-first approach for the Commanders in 2023.

Lynn joined the 49ers as their assistant head coach and running backs coach after being dismissed as the Lions’ offensive coordinator at the end of 2021. Prior to that, Lynn served as the head coach of the Chargers, going 33-31 in his four seasons with the team, with his best year coming in 2018. Lynn has led several good rushing attacks in his day and could be the ideal fit for a Commanders team that’s looking to establish the run in 2023.

Lynn lost playcalling duties midway through his first year as Detroit’s offensive coordinator. The Lions fired him after Week 18, the second time Lynn’s been fired the last two seasons. Lynn’s rushing offenses have always produced, but his player evaluations have been criticized, with Lynn opening the year starting Tyrod Taylor over Justin Herbert in his final season with the Chargers. Lynn is expected to focus on coordinating the run game in San Francisco and is a potential replacement for OC Mike McDaniel if McDaniel is hired as Miami’s head coach.

Lynn had play-calling duties taken away earlier in the year so a split between the two parties was always inevitable. Lynn’s philosophy didn’t mesh well with the direction head coach Dan Campbell wanted to take the team in and the offense showed few signs of life throughout the year. With Lynn taking the fall for the offense, head coach Dan Campbell may get another year to turn things around. The Lions will finish bottom-five in points per game in Lynn’s only season as their coordinator. He will look to join a new franchise, likely as a position coach, during the offseason.

Campbell took over play calling duties from Anthony Lynn in November and has no intention of handing the job back to Lynn over the season’s final two games. Campbell said after the team’s Week 16 loss to Atlanta that “every week I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable” with calling plays and managing personnel changes during the game. The Lions out-gained the Falcons offense with Jared Goff (COVID-19) sidelined but fell short, 20-16. Detroit’s offense has shown real signs of life over the past month with Campbell at the helm, a development that doesn’t bode well for Lynn.

Lynn, fired by the Chargers at season’s end, was reportedly considered by several teams in need of an OC, including the Lions and Seahawks. A former running backs coach, Lynn’s Chargers averaged 111.5 rushing yards per game under Lynn despite a spate of injuries at the position in 2020. Lynn went 33-31 in four seasons with the Chargers, going 1-1 in the postseason. Before coaching the Chargers, Lynn served as running backs coach with the Jets, then as offensive coordinator in Buffalo after the team parted ways with Greg Roman. Lions head coach Dan Campbell said this week that he wanted an offensive coordinator who would get D’Andre Swift into favorable matchups as a pass catcher. Lynn’s history would suggest he can do just that.

Lynn hasn’t decided whether to coach in 2021, but he’s among Seattle’s top choices. The Seahawks are moving back to a run-first offense, making Lynn a potential fit to replace Brian Schottenheimer. A former running backs coach, the Chargers averaged 111.5 rushing yards per game under Lynn despite multiple injuries at the position this past season. Taking a coordinator job in Seattle may be Lynn’s best option if he coaches this year.

ESPN’s Dianna Russini said Lynn “is on a few lists” after being fired by the Chargers, though no teams were named in her report. Lynn went 33-31 in four seasons with the Chargers, going 1-1 in the postseason. Before coaching the Chargers, Lynn served as running backs coach with the Jets, then as offensive coordinator in Buffalo after the team parted ways with Greg Roman. In-game decisions weren’t Lynn’s bright spot in LA, but perhaps his offensive acumen could land him a job in the coming weeks.