The Los Angeles Chargers dropped their second game in as many tries this season on Sunday, losing to a Tennessee Titans squad that had not won in its previous eight games.
The storyline was pretty much the same as we’ve seen under head coach Brandon Staley throughout his tenure in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles found itself up 21-17 early in the fourth quarter after a touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to Keenan Allen. It then allowed Ryan Tannehill and the Titans’ offense to drive down the field 82 yards, culminating in a go-ahead touchdown with just over two minutes left. After the Chargers tied it to end regulation, they ended up falling in overtime by the score of 27-24.
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Staley was asked about this latest loss and whether it’s the continuation of a hangover from last season’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs. He was having none of it.
“I’m not worried about the Jacksonville loss. The Jacksonville loss hasn’t carried onto the season whatsoever,” Brandon Staley told reporters. “It has nothing to do with the Jacksonville game and if you ask anyone in our locker room, it has nothing to do with the Jacksonville game. And that’s just the truth. It’s a convenient storyline for you and for everybody else, but it’s not the truth.”
It’s a fair question to ask. Los Angeles was up 27-0 in the second quarter of January’s playoff game against Jacksonville. It ended up losing by the score of 31-30 in one of the most humiliating losses in recent NFL Playoff history. The Chargers have now opened the 2023 season with two consecutive one-score losses.
Los Angeles Chargers’ Brandon Staley is clearly on the hot seat
Staley’s give-and-take with reporters following Sunday’s loss is not surprising. He has to be feeling the pressure in Southern California.
Since taking over as the Chargers’ head coach back in 2021, they boast a mediocre 19-17 record. In his first season, a Week 18 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders prevented the Chargers from making the playoffs. They then lost in humiliating fashion to the aforementioned Jaguars this past January.
It’s the same old story for Staley and Co. in 2023. Los Angeles now boasts a 12-12 record in one-score games under Staley. That’s just not going to cut it.
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