Brandon Staley under fire as the Los Angeles Chargers crash out of the NFL playoffs
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley is in question after suffering one of the worst playoff losses in NFL history. The Chargers blew a 27-0 lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars to exit the Wild Card round of the postseason.
It was a harrowing defeat and a painful playoff debut for Justin Herbert and many other LA players. For Staley, a tough injury riddled season ended with a bitter loss. For the Chargers, this loss calls for the franchise to evaluate their future.
Fans and analysts alike are suggesting that this could be it for Staley in LA, but he may have done enough to ride out the storm. If they had continued to dominate the Jaguars, Staley would not be under scrutiny, but that's not what happened.
With rumors swirling about Brandon Staley's job security, is the HC really in trouble? Let's take a look at his time with the franchise.
Brandon Staley's coaching record with the LA Chargers
Brandon Staley is a developing coach who first caught waves as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator during the 2020 season. He oversaw the top-ranked defense in the NFL. That defensive unit propelled the Rams to a 10-6 season and a wild-card playoff win over the Seattle Seahawks before the team exited the postseason with a loss to Green Bay.
Despite having little experience at the NFL level, the Los Angeles Chargers felt he was ready to make the jump to being a HC.
As Rams defensive coordinator, Staley walked into the perfect spot for a developing coach:
- They had a star studded defensive unit featuring Aaron Donald.
- A franchise in contender mode willing to give up assets for players.
- A genius offensive play caller in Sean McVay.
As the Chargers HC, Staley has lacked all the key ingredients that led to his initial success. Staley can't just concentrate on the defensive side of the ball as he has to pay attention to the whole team. Taking more on board (such as clock management) has seemed to overwhelm him.
The Chargers are a frequent reminder to me how Joe Lombardi took a team with Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and Reggie Bush and turned them into the 19th best offense in the NFL.
Staley has also suffered greatly without Sean McVay’s offense to bail out defensive mistakes. LA's offensive scheme around star QB Justin Herbert has often faced criticism for being vanilla and bland.
Overall, Staley is 19-15 in the regular season and 0-1 in the playoffs as the Chargers HC.
LA did not live up to their preseason expectations in the 2022 campaign
They have been labeled a developing side over the last few seasons, and this has meant a lot more leeway in terms of results. LA missed the playoffs with Justin Herbert under center, but it was acceptable due to the direction the franchise seemed headed.
With Staley entering his second season as HC, the 2022 campaign was their first labeled as a contender. The issue is that although they have injuries as excuses, they haven't lived up to the tag.
LA finished 10-7 and the majority of their games were close. They either did enough or fell just short, which was disappointing for a side expected to dominate. They went 2-4 against their AFC West rivals, which wasn't well received by the fanbase.
The offense was always going to be in question under a defensive coach, but the franchise must be concerned with how they've performed on both sides of the ball. The hope from the front office was that he could replicate his form with the Rams, but the veritable mix-bag of results with the Chargers is confusing.
NFL Defenses 2022 https://t.co/MoUhlJMSuo
Staley also replicated the Rams' spending habits for stars in free agency. The franchise has organized one of the most notable star name rosters in the entire NFL. Injuries hampered their season but they had the firepower to contend.
A modern defensive caller, Staley spends his time developing a great pass defense, even if it means allowing more rushing yards. In the passing era, this is an advantage the franchise has with Staley.
The Los Angeles Chargers' identity crisis could be the defining factor
Brandon Staley or Justin Herbert? LA can only choose to build around one of them. Will the franchise continue to give Staley time to develop into a better all-round head coach or will they pull the plug and go all in on Justin Herbert?
The franchise's identity is on defense under Staley, but it could shift to offense with a different hire. Many think the Chargers should invest everything in their franchise QB Justin Herbert.
Staley has the advantage of a star QB in his first HC job (a rarity) and is still barely above a .500 winning percentage. This along with heavy spending in free agency and investments in the draft on defensive players.
If LA had beaten the Jaguars, there's no way this would even be a discussion. Even if they went on to lose in the Divisional round, this season would have been looked at as a learning experience for the coach and the players. There would have been some pros and cons, but they would have reflected on them during the offseason with a sense of optimism.
With this in mind, it feels like Brandon Staley will keep his role. But then the conclusion of many is that a developing coach is not worth more than an emerging franchise QB. If the Chargers agree with that, we could see a change in LA.