After yet another game in which his team lost by less than a score and gave up significant yardage on defense, Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley was emphatic that Sunday’s 23-20 loss to the Packers was not due to a problem in his own defensive game plan, saying he has no plans to make changes in that area at this point.
Staley confidently addressed reporters, saying, “As I’ve repeatedly stated from the beginning, I have complete faith in our playing style. I trust my abilities as the play-caller, as well as our teaching and scheming methods. I’m fully confident in that. Our task now is to unite this group and maintain consistency. That’s our focus.”
To clarify and avoid further questioning, I will be the one calling the defenses. So, let’s be clear about this and avoid repeating the same question.
The Bolts fell to 4-6 for the year and 2-5 in one-score games this season after suffering a loss to the Packers on Sunday. The defense has been underperforming for two consecutive weeks, conceding a total of 957 yards and 64 points in two successive losses.
The defense gave up 424 yards to the Packers, who have had issues producing on offense throughout the season and had not hit 400-plus yards or 300-plus passing yards going into Sunday. This came after the Chargers’ loss to the Lions last week when the defense gave up 533 yards. Overall, the defense has struggled mightily throughout the season, ranking near the bottom in the league in yards allowed per game through Weeks 1-10, leading to questions for Staley about what, if any, changes might be in store for L.A. in order to address and resolve the long-term issues.
When repeatedly questioned post-game by reporters about whether there were other reasons for the struggles beyond just execution issues, Staley firmly insisted that there was no problem with the collective defense or his play-calling, despite any contrary suggestions from the media or fans.
Staley stated on Sunday, “My purpose here isn’t to converse with the fan base, but rather to address my players in the locker room. We always equip ourselves with game plans that give us a shot at winning each week, and we’ve proven it here. It’s as if you’re suggesting we’ve never delivered a good defense, which is false. You’re implying that we haven’t made any advancements. However, there were numerous other factors that contributed to our loss today, not our defense. It was our team’s overall performance.”
“We fell short in the red zone on offense, dropped too many balls, and allowed several devastating sacks. It’s crucial to understand that we made these mistakes collectively, not just one unit. It’s wrong to blame a single group for today’s outcome. We lost as a team, for which I take full responsibility. The narrative should be that we lost as a team today.”
On Sunday, the Chargers offense experienced several struggles. They managed only 1 out of 4 attempts in the red zone, with many potential scoring opportunities being lost due to a series of drops and slips during crucial moments.
While the offense has not posed a lasting problem this year, ranking ninth in scoring before Sunday, the defense has been a recurring issue. Staley admitted that their efforts have not necessarily translated to success in games, but he reiterated his belief that the team can secure victories with its current system.
“Throughout the season, we’ve made several adjustments. Although these changes may not have consistently made a significant impact, we have indeed made them. Our players are aware of these adjustments and we’re committed to continually working hard on them. We look forward to seeing the progress we’ll make in the future,” said Staley.
Though Staley’s words paint a clear picture of his thoughts on his team’s struggles, the results don’t lie, and something isn’t working right now. If the Chargers want any chance of climbing back into the AFC playoff race, the improvement needs to show. And as the season moves forward, they’re running out of time.
