Brandon Staley On The Hottest Of Hot Seats?
By Andy Davies
Brandon Staley was hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers exactly two years ago today. However, after an almighty collapse on Wildcard Weekend, he is now the coach with the hottest of seats.
It was all going so well for Staley and the Chargers when they were 27-0 up on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They had picked off Trevor Lawrence four times, with three of those coming from Asante Samuel Jr.
What transpired in the second half is nothing short of calamitous, as they lost 31-30 at TAA Bank Field; Riley Patterson’s field goal as time expired securing the incredible comeback.
However, this is not the full story. Here is why Staley is now one of the favourites to join Kliff Kingsbury in Thailand and be the next head coach fired in the NFL.
A Costly Week 18
There is a split dynamic amongst NFL fans and the media as regards what to do in the final week of the regular season if you have already got your seeding locked in.
One the one side, as the Baltimore Ravens found out after a playoff bye in the Divisional Round against the Tennessee Titans, your starters could be rusty if they miss a week of NFL action.
On the flip side, the New York Giants beat the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday after resting their starters in Week 18.
Staley went down the route of playing starters against the Denver Broncos in Week 18, and saw injuries to Joey Bosa and Mike Williams. Bosa was able to suit up against the Jaguars, albeit in limited fashion – playing ‘on one leg’ as the star pass rusher described it. However, Mike Williams did not make the trip.
As a result of this, the Chargers’ passing game had one less weapon. Their best receiver was a tight end in Gerald Everett (109 yards).Beyond that, only Keenan Allen made a significant impact on the stat sheer (61 yards) – the third most productive pass catcher was Joshua Palmer who only had 31 yards from two receptions.
With lead rusher Austin Ekeler also restricted to just 35 yards, the Chargers really could have done with Williams’ production.
Not Learning His Lesson
This is not the first time Staley has made a mistake as Chargers head coach.
Week 18 of the 2021 season against the Las Vegas Raiders saw Staley call a timeout, when a tie would have seen both teams progress.
This decision caused the Raiders to change their strategy, instead running a pla and getting the yards needed to get into field goal range. Daniel Carlson swung his leg, split the uprights, and The Chargers failed to make the dance.
Staley received a lot of criticism for this percieve naivety, but got away with it because it was his first season as a head coach. Deciding to play Williams in a meaningless game, in which the receiver suffered a back fracture, may not entitle him to as much leeway.
Even if Staley does survive, his card is marked for year three. The third season is often a make or break campaign for any coach who has failed to produce in years one and two. Staley will need his team to start well in the 2023 season if he remains in charge.
He has received support from his quarterback Justin Herbert. He said:
“Everyone would be lucky to have a coach like Staley. He’s been an incredible leader and has the respect of everyone on our team. He’s genuine, he’s himself and has been the same person for the past two years.”
Despite this, Herbert may not be as flattering if the Chargers orchestrate their own downfall once again in 2023. There are some big names out there looking for an employer, and the incumbent head coach should be grateful he’s employed by miserly owners who will likely baulk at offering the big bucks to a Sean Payton or Jim Harbaugh. Staley will be looking over his shoulder for the next few days – and if he somehow clings on, will be trying to outrun the spectre of unemployment throughout 2023.
ANDY DAVIES
NFL ANALYST
A current Sports Journalism masters student, Andy has been writing NFL articles since January 2020. Originally from Wales, Andy also writes for pro football mania and dolphins talk, as well as appearing on podcasts and videos for euro tripz. find him on twitter @andydaviessport.