Getty Shawne Merriman
Whenever a team loses 45-0 and is completely dominated as the Los Angeles Chargers were on Sunday by the New England Patriots, there will be an uproar from the fanbase and the team’s proud alumni.
Fan rants are commonplace, but when a certified legend speaks out in frustration, they get far more attention. Former Chargers great Shawne Merriman took to Twitter after the beatdown and he didn’t just give it to his old team, he also decided to use a portion of his 140 characters to take a shot at the Patriots.
The three-time Pro-Bowler, former All-Pro, and Defensive Rookie of the Year tweeted:
Changes have to be made point blank, you can’t have this much talent and have 0 points. The Patriots aren’t even a good team this year.
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Patriots Aren’t a Good Team?
I know the Patriots are only 6-6. Their early-season bouts with COVID-19 really seemed to throw things off the rails. I also realize they aren’t the Tom-Brady-led team that won six Super Bowls in the past 20 years.
However, to say that a .500 team that has won four of its last five–including a 45-point thrashing of the Chargers on Sunday–simply isn’t a good team seems overly simplistic. Let’s not forget, the Patriots came into Sunday’s game as a Top-5 team in rushing yards, and their special teams continue to be among the best–if not tops–in the league.
Merriman might have been a little caught up in the moment with that remark.
Merriman is Correct About At Least One Thing
As off base as Merriman was in his frivolous assessment of the Patriots this season, he was right about the Chargers. Changes have to be made, and it begins with the man in charge on the sidelines, and perhaps even higher up the food chain.
The Chargers looked as bad as a team as any group I’ve seen all season on Sunday. Their special teams play was at an all-time level of atrociousness, and there were little to no adjustments made to take some pressure off their rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. The best thing that came out of Sunday’s game is that Herbert didn’t get hurt in the process.
If you’re a Chargers fan, this was an embarrassment to the franchise and the people who follow the team. I’m talking complete trash.
The only positive aspect of fans not being in attendance for this game–at least from a Chargers standpoint–is that no one who wasn’t being paid to be there had to witness this assault in person.
Chargers Media Slammed the Team in the Aftermath
Merriman and I weren’t the only ones giving the Chargers the business for their lackluster display. Several members of the media and fans also took to Twitter to voice their feelings on the debacle.
This is the best tweet of all-time.
These other ones are good but clearly come in a distant second to the one above.
The Patriots lined up to punt 5 times in this game. The #Chargers had the wrong number of players on the field for 3 of those plays. On one series, they lined for a punt with 12, got flagged and gave up the first down, then lined up with 10 four snaps later.
Keeping Justin Herbert in this game right now is Anthony Lynn’s worst coaching decision this season. #Chargers
@Chargers Live look at Herbert in the locker room:
I’ve been in this business 35 years. The past two weeks with the #Chargers is the worst stretch of coaching I’ve ever seen, regardless of sport.
Welp, I think that about sums things up as it pertains to the Chargers. With that, I guess it’s lights out on Charger week.
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