No coach in the NFL receives as much criticism for their fourth quarter and fourth-down strategy and execution as Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley. Staley believes in an aggressive mindset while making no apologies for his late-game aggressiveness and unconventional fourth-down strategy.
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What Did Brandon Staley Say About the Fourth-Down Call Against Minnesota?
Earlier this season, the Chargers narrowly escaped with a road victory over a desperate Minnesota Vikings team. But the victory wasn’t the headliner.
Staley decided to go for it on fourth down, in their territory, which drew the ire of the fan base. This wasn’t Staley’s first curious decision, either. He did the same thing last season.
Luckily for Chargers fans, the defense stood up and made a play, with LB Kenneth Murray intercepting Vikings QB Kirk Cousins to clinch the victory. While the victory was sweet for the Los Angeles franchise, you couldn’t help but question the decision-making of the Chargers head coach.
Going for it on your own 24-yard line isn’t aggressive, it’s reckless. Yet, Staley defended his decision to go for it.
“It’s your job as a head coach to make sure your team knows you have belief in them. I think we came here to win. It was a tough road game against a team that made the playoffs, so we were trying to go win the game, and I make no apologies for that.”
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Staley and the Los Angeles front office take an analytical-based approach to their decision-making, including critical decisions on the field. For example, by going for it on the call in question against Minnesota, the Chargers had an 84% chance of winning. If they punted, the chance of winning dropped to 77%.
The Chargers believe in analytics and will not question their methods, even when things go wrong.
What’s Next for the Chargers?
Los Angeles’ offense missed WR Mike Williams, who is one of the better deep ball targets in the NFL. With him lost for the season, the Chargers lack the ability to stretch the field.
The Chargers need to get first-round rookie receiver Quentin Johnston going. The rookie from TCU is a dynamic playmaker, but he appears to be slow adjusting to the speed of the NFL game. Johnston’s emergence would provide the Chargers with the much-needed juice this offense needs.