McCoy remains upbeat with reeling Chargers

SAN DIEGO (AP) Mike McCoy remained the Chargers coach on Monday, despite losing to the winless Cleveland Browns.

The embattled McCoy survived for at least another week after a 20-17 road loss on Saturday.

Asked if he expected to return next Monday after Sunday's season finale against the visiting Chiefs, McCoy's reply was short.

''Yes,'' he said.

But McCoy knows what everyone else does: NFL coaches are judged on wins and losses, and on that count, the Chargers are 9-23 in their last 32 games.

''The only time I think about this is when you ask me the question,'' said McCoy, who is signed through next season. ''I'm not worried about (my job). I'm worried about this week and playing Kansas City.''

But Chargers fans are absorbing a 1-2 punch. The Chargers (5-10), missing the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years, will finish in last place in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2000-01.

Then there's chatter of the Chargers relocating to Los Angeles, which could mean Sunday's game is the final one in San Diego. The Chargers have until Jan. 15 to decide if they want to join the Rams in the nation's second-largest city.

McCoy, though, is attempting to push the positive. It's an effort that grows more difficult with each disheartening defeat.

''Give our football team a ton of credit in how they have come in every week,'' McCoy said. ''We've had an opportunity to win every game we have been in. Unfortunately, there is a different reason each week for the losses that we have had.

''But we got to figure out a way how to beat Kansas City and finish the season the right way.''

It's been a year ruined by one wrong turn after another. The Chargers have let six fourth-quarter leads slip away. They've won but twice on the road. They had losing streaks of three and four games, with the current skid showing five losses in the last six outings.

''It's a humbling business,'' McCoy said. ''It's a tough business and we all knew that when we got into it. It's never easy losing. It's been tough.''

Saturday might have brought a new low. Not only did the Chargers become the Browns' lone victim this season, but Josh Lambo missed a 45-yard field goal in the closing seconds.

''Look at ... the way that game ended,'' McCoy said. ''You think you have an opportunity to go into overtime and win the game. Then we missed the kick. Something comes up where we don't get it done. It was another brutal loss.''

McCoy, a head coach for the first time at any level, gets another chance for win No. 6. But playing the Chiefs, an AFC West rival, isn't a good sign: The Chargers have dropped 12 of their past 13 games in the division.

''My No. 1 focus is getting our team ready to play,'' McCoy said. ''That is the most important thing. We are playing a hot team right now in Kansas City so I better go out there and get this team ready.''

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