Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell knew he wanted to have some experience in his coaching staff and on Saturday he did, hiring former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn as the team’s offensive coordinator. according to sources in ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
Lynn, 52, had been with the Chargers from 2017 to 20 with a 33-31 record. Previously, he was the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator for one season, in 2016.
He and Campbell also know each other. Lynn coached the Dallas runners in 2005, when Campbell finished with the team.
“What’s more important than anything to me when it comes to an offensive coordinator is someone who I think has the vision of offense like I do,” Campbell said Thursday. “Just in terms of, ‘Listen, I’m not going to hang on to what you want to call terminology. I won’t hang on to the style of system you want to put on. “
“I’m more interested in, ‘Man, show me what screws you believe in.’
One thing Campbell highlighted in his introductory press conference is making sure his coordinators (the team officially announced Aaron Glenn as defensive coordinator on Saturday) can identify and exploit the mismatches of the matches.
In Buffalo in 2016, Lynn had the best offense in the NFL, averaging 164.4 yards per game and 5.35 yards per home with LeSean McCoy as the lead back. Lynn has also shown her willingness to pitch. His Chargers team, last season, was sixth in the league in passing yards per game (270.6) with a rookie quarterback, Justin Herbert, behind the center most of the season and had the passing offense number 6 in 2019 (276.6 yards per game).
Lynn will likely work with a new quarterback in 2021, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Matthew Stafford applied for a trade in Detroit, the only place he played in his career after being ranked number one. 1 overall in 2009.