Since being hired as the new head coach of the Chargers, Brandon Staley has drawn the majority of the attention, while the coaching staff he brought in has shied away from the headlines.
I went to Twitter to ask fans who they thought the biggest addition to the coaching staff was, and by no surprise, it was offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.
Lombardi spent most of his time in the NFL with the Saints organization. The last time he was elevated to offensive coordinator in the league it didn’t go so smoothly.
Leading the Lions offense from 2014-15, Lombardi’s unit ranked in the bottom half of the league in total yards and points scored, which led to him getting fired halfway through his second season.
While his time as the play-caller for Detroit was underwhelming, Lombardi still brings plenty of experience, having spent over a decade working with QB Drew Brees, in which he helped guide them to a top offense in points scored dating back to 2016.
With Los Angeles center-pieced around quarterback Justin Herbert, how he does this season will heavily determine the outcome of their 2021 season, which is why Lombardi’s system is so pivotal.
Lombardi’s plan is to mesh some of the concepts he picked up in New Orleans and what worked most optimally for Herbert in college and his first year as a pro.
Herbert is coming off one of the best seasons by a first-year quarterback, throwing for over 3,600 yards and totaling 36 touchdowns en route to shattering multiple rookie records.
If Lombardi can set up Herbert to take a Year 2 leap off that type of production, Los Angeles could be the team to beat throughout the 2021 season.
