For the third time in four seasons with Justin Herbert at quarterback, the Chargers will miss the playoffs… this time Brandon Staley is at fault. The Los Angeles Chargers have fallen to 5-8 on the season, following their 24-7 loss to the Denver Broncos. Staley has had a long leash, but enough is enough. The roster has been mismanaged and there’s been a lack of creativity with both the offensive and defensive game plans.
A season ago, the Chargers barely squeaked into the playoffs and they lost in the wild card. Everyone thought that adding Kellen Moore as the Offensive Coordinator would help solve the problem. However, it’s actually been the opposite. On paper, this should be one of the best offenses in the NFL. With talented weapons such as Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston and others. Though, as the season wraps up one thing remains… the Chargers are a bad football team under the direction of Brandon Staley.
Despite having elite talent on both sides of the ball, the Chargers have failed the expectations.
Offensive Struggles
Losing Herbert for the rest of the season will not help his cause. Although, part of the problem could be credited to an inexperienced and line that ranks in the middle of the pack. Still, the playcalling has been atrociously bad, especially in the last three weeks. In that time, the Chargers have not scored more than 10 points. They’ve failed to score more than 20 points on five separate occasions this season.
Herbert has spent four years in Los Angeles taking hit after hit. He’s suffered four injuries in his time in the NFL: a Shoulder Clavicle Fracture, a Chest Rib Fracture, a Shoulder Labrum Tear last season, and most recently a Hand Finger Fracture. Protecting Herbert is a priority as well but you can’t do that without a competent offensive scheme that uses the abilities of each player.
Recurring Defensive Miscues
The Chargers are loaded with talent on the defensive side of the ball as well. Especially with top-tier players like Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Asante Samuel Jr. Still, they rank near the bottom of the league. The fourth-worst in yards allowed per game (375.1) and middle of the pack in points allowed per game (21.7). The pass defense has become the worst part with the Chargers defense allowing 261.9 passing yards per game.
The front office has equipped Brandon Staley with more resources than most other head coaches in recent Chargers history, yet the results have been far from impressive. This makes parting ways with the third-year head coach a priority this offseason.
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