Like a Thanksgiving day turkey in a slow cooker, the temperature has steadily risen underneath Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley’s seat.
Now, the Chargers’ lead man is facing new questions about his job status before the national holiday following the latest letdown at Lambeau Field.
Chargers Fall to Packers, Further Heating Brandon Staley’s Seat
The Bolts lost a 20-16 lead with under 5:30 left in the game, as the Packers pulled away 23-20.
The last highlight by the Chargers? This Justin Herbert to Keenan Allen red-zone connection.
Justin Herbert throws a STRIKE to Keenan Allen to give the #Chargers the lead! 👀
Can the #Packers respond?🍿#BoltUp
pic.twitter.com/nj6AeyxiRh— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 19, 2023
But how did it all unravel this time for Staley and the Chargers? A strong response by the Pack after LA couldn’t pounce on a strip sack made by Khalil Mack.
Deep in their own 15, facing 3rd-and-20, Jordan Love managed to force a defensive pass interference call on Asante Samuel Jr. Two plays later, Love hit Dontayvion Wicks on what was a short over-the-middle route. Wicks took advantage of a badly botched tackle made in front of the defensive whiz Staley.
.@WicksDontayvion bounces off contact & keeps going!#LACvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/pS1PT6lBsS
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 19, 2023
That play became a prelude to the final dagger by the Pack, as Love hit Romeo Doubs on a 24-yard touchdown that sealed the game andanother letdown Sunday for Staley.
.@jordan3love finds @RomeoDoubs to go over 300 yards passing!
TOUCHDOWN 🙌#LACvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/htAl7VbOGP
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 19, 2023
In what’s become a weekly occurrence on social media, fans got vocal toward Staley following the loss.
Swapping HC Duties With Kellen Moore Among Notable Reactions
Sirius XM radio personality and NFL columnist Adam Schein sent this message to the Chargers.
“Don’t let Brandon Staley back on team plane,” Schein posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“Chargers haven’t fired a coach midseason since 1998, so never thought it would actually happen. Now, I would think that ownership has enough of a reason,” another account posted before offering this suggestion: “Let Kellen [Moore] coach for seven games and see what he has.”
Moore’s name has periodically surfaced over the last couple of seasons for head coaching jobs. His name has most recently been attached to his alma mater, Boise State, as the Broncos fired Andy Avalos during the week of Nov. 13. But now, there’s the suggestion that the Bolts should pivot to Moore right away.
Did Staley Have a Meltdown?
Staley’s seat isn’t the only thing getting heated — so was his postgame press conference after the game.
At first, Staley started off calm in addressing reporters, stating that the team needed to put this loss behind them. He felt the strength of the day was stuffing the run. However, there was a lack of consistency on the execution side of things from what he observed.
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But his voice raised once he addressed a question — one that he clearly has grown tired of — involving the state of the defense, Staley’s area of expertise.
“I have full confidence, like I told you in the beginning, in the way we’re playing. I have full confidence in myself as a play-caller and in the way that we teach, the way that we scheme. I have full confidence. We’ve got to bring this group together and do things more consistently. And that’s where it’s at. So you can stop asking that question,” Staley said.
#Chargers HC Brandon Staley gets testy with reporters after today’s loss to the #Packers. 😯#BoltUp
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 19, 2023
Staley continued, “I’m going to be calling the defense. Just so we’re clear. So you can stop asking me that.”
But then, Staley got asked about a growing restless fanbase and how his coaching tenure has gone.
“I’m not here to talk to the fanbase,” Staley fired back. “I’m here to talk to my players in the locker room. I know that we give ourselves a chance to win every single week with the game plans that we have. We have done it.”
Staley continued to ramble about the constant criticism his defense has received.
“You guys act like we’ve never played good defense. That’s not the truth. You act like we haven’t made any improvements in the run game. We played outstanding. We’re rushing the quarterback well. Where we’ve got to do a better job is in the passing game. That’s where our full attention is, and that’s where it will continue to be,” Staley said.
Staley’s voice continued to rise.
“There are a lot of other things that cost us to lose today. It certainly wasn’t our defense. It was the way we played as a team. We didn’t play in the red zone on offense. We dropped too many passes. We gave up a few killer sacks. We did it as a team. Stop making it about one unit. That’s not what happened out there,” Staley said. “Our team lost, and I’m fully responsible for it, and I take full responsibility for it. But we lost as a team. That’s the storyline.”
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