64°F
weather icon Mostly Cloudy
NFL

AFC West: Chargers’ Anthony Lynn makes coaching change

Perhaps it was long overdue, but Los Angeles Chargers coach Anthony Lynn finally made a change.

Lynn announced the reassignment of special teams coordinator George Stewart on Wednesday amid a myriad of special teams woes. He’ll finish the season as an offensive analyst. Assistant special teams coach Keith Burns will take over as special teams coach.

“We couldn’t keep going the way we were going, so I decided to make that change,” Lynn told reporters Wednesday. “It’s what I thought was best for the team or I wouldn’t have done it.”

The Chargers have had three punts blocked, and third-year kicker Mike Badgley is converting a career-low 76.2 percent of his field-goal attempts, down from 87.5 percent in the first two years of his career. He also has missed two extra points.

Stewart has been an NFL assistant since 1989, previously serving as special teams coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1989-91), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1992-1994) and San Francisco 49ers (1996-1999). He also worked as a wide receivers coach for the 49ers, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings, and had been Lynn’s special teams coordinator since 2017.

Burns played 13 years in the NFL as a linebacker and was teammates with Lynn for three years with the Denver Broncos. He was a special teams assistant in Denver from 2007 to 2012 and special teams coordinator for the Washington Football Team in 2013. He joined Lynn’s staff as a special teams assistant in 2018.

“(He brings) a new voice, different philosophy. We all work together, but we’re all individuals,” said Lynn, who started his coaching career as a special teams assistant. “We want to finish this season out the right way. We’ll see what happens.”

Ekeler returns to practice

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler returned to practice Wednesday, Lynn said. Ekeler hasn’t played since Oct. 4, when he tore his hamstring during a 38-31 loss to the Buccaneers.

Running backs Justin Jackson, Kalen Ballage and Joshua Kelley have filled in for Ekeler, who had 248 rushing yards and 144 receiving yards in the first four games.

He had 557 rushing yards, 993 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns during his breakout season of 2019.

“I’m so excited to put my helmet on,” Ekeler told ESPN on Tuesday. “I might be a little rusty. I want to say I’m going to go out and kill it, but that’s not how it works.”

Watkins back

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins also practiced Wednesday, coach Andy Reid said. Watkins has been battling a hamstring injury and missed the past five games.

He has 222 receiving yards and two TDs in five games.

Broncos flexed in Week 15

The NFL moved the Broncos’ Week 15 game against the Buffalo Bills from Dec. 20 to Dec. 19. The game will begin at 1:30 p.m. and precede the Green Bay Packers-Carolina Panthers game as part of a doubleheader on NFL Network.

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.

Like and follow Vegas Nation
THE LATEST
 
NFL approves dramatic new kickoff rules

NFL owners approved a one-year proposal that results in sweeping changes on kickoffs and is intended to encourage more returns while limiting injuries.

Who’s wearing what number for the Raiders this season?

The Raiders’ offseason moves mean new faces and new uniform numbers, including for their high-priced free-agent signee, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.