With two NFL coaches already losing their jobs in 2023, Josh McDaniels and Frank Reich, Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach Brandon Staley now sits on the hottest seat in the NFL.
Per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, Brandon Staley will be “out” as head coach “barring a miracle down the stretch.” Full quote:
Brandon Staley, barring a miracle down the stretch, is out with the Los Angeles Chargers. The reason is they have not had sustained success. They’ve only been to one playoff game in three-plus years — that was a catastrophic loss to the Jaguars. Their defense is consistently at the bottom half, or in this season, bottom five in every single major statistical category including total defense where they are dead last.
Jordan Schultz, Bleacher Report
Three years into his coaching stint, Brandon Staley is 23-22 and has taken a massive step backward this season. Year three for a first-time head coach is the judgment period, and Staley has fallen flat, unfortunately.
Related: Are The Chargers Too Cheap To Fire Brandon Staley
The defense continues to be an issue, as stated above, but the real troubling thing is the offense and the regressions that we have seen there. The offensive line has taken a massive step back, the running game has been virtually non-existent since Week 1, and the passing game is stale if the ball isn’t going to Keenan Allen.
Los Angeles Chargers Are 4-7 This Year Under Brandon Staley
The major issue that everyone pointed to last season was offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. Well, Staley fired Lombardi and brought in offensive guru Kellen Moore this offseason to revamp the offense. There is plenty more to the story than just a few statistics, but the 2022 offense (with even more injuries sustained) finished the year 9th in total offense. The 2023 version currently sits at 11th.
We have talked, almost at nausea, if the Chargers will make a change at head coach and GM, and when they will make that change. Based on this report, it appears that Brandon Staley will still be given the entirety of the season before any moves are made.
In order to save his job, Staley will need to miraculously make the playoffs, and still probably win at least one playoff game. In order to do that, at 4-7 the Chargers will pretty much need to win out to finish the year 10-7, same as last year’s mark that got them a playoff birth.
Every game is a must-win and it starts this Sunday against a very bad Patriots team. After that, the Chargers face a surging Broncos team twice, the Raiders, Bills, and Chiefs.
Will the Chargers miraculously make the playoffs? Time will tell, and this Chargers schedule will not make it easy.