Tag: Chargers Brandon Staley

Brandon Staley takes ownership of Chargers’ personnel decisions

Brandon Staley did not deflect any blame for the personnel decisions that the Chargers made in their Week 18 loss to the Broncos.

The Los Angeles Chargers made a few personnel decisions in their Week 18 loss to the Denver Broncos that left some fans and analysts wondering what the team was thinking ahead of the playoffs.

Wide receiver Mike Williams went down with a back injury in the game, and speculation abounds that edge defender Joey Bosa may have aggravated a groin injury he suffered earlier in the season. Linebacker Kenneth Murray left the game after suffering a stinger.

For his part, though, Staley didn’t make excuses on Monday in his comments to reporters about his decision to play his starters on Sunday.

“Those decisions are mine — obviously, we’re collaborating with our coaching staff, front office and ownership,” Staley explained of the choice he made to play his starters. “I think that yesterday is an example of the tough side of the NFL, of balancing competition, and then keeping your team as healthy as possible going into the playoffs, and trying to build a culture within a football team and an organization in how you want to do things. We were trying to strike that balance yesterday. I think that our guys did a good job with it. We’ll learn a lot from it and keep getting better as we go.”

Fortunately, Williams’ MRI showed no fracture or muscle injury in his back, and it is just a contusion, which means that Williams is expected to return to practice at some point this week and should play. The same applies to Bosa and Murray, who are fine and should play this weekend against the Jaguars.

Had the availability of those starters become impacted, Staley would have faced even tougher questions to answer as to why he played his starters for as long as he did.

Chargers HC Brandon Staley praises medical team’s response in wake of Damar Hamlin incident

Chargers HC Brandon Staley said Damar Hamlin’s injury was indicative of the excellent procedures the NFL has in place.

In his comments to the media on Wednesday, Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley touched on several key points regarding the tragic injury to Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin on Monday night.

He was asked about his level of comfort in the protocols that the NFL has in place for incidents like the one that occurred between the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. He responded with a lengthy explanation of his feelings on the matter.

“That is one of the things that I think everyone is discovering, just how incredible the response was and the poise,” Staley explained. “I think the level of expertise, the capacity of the people on that field that night and what they were able to do, they are well trained. I think that all of us can take a huge lesson from that. It is one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments. It is a once-in-a-lifetime moment that requires a once-in-a-lifetime response.

“I think the people in Cincinnati that night showed that they were ready, and that is what the NFL is about. On gameday, Dr. Yim said that there are probably over 30 people [on-hand], and then all of the resources that are on an NFL football field for these guys, to be ready for that moment. I am just really proud of those people and admire them in every way because it’s amazing.”

While the league hangs on every update regarding Hamlin’s condition, Staley is spot-on in his assessment of the protocols and procedures that enabled the swift response to Monday’s situation.

Chargers HC Brandon Staley delivers powerful message in response to Jon Gruden controversy

Chargers HC Brandon Staley is a leader of the people.

Throughout the past few weeks, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley’s press conferences have been must-see television.

Staley has continuously delivered in-depth answers in regards to his philosophy behind everything football. But on Wednesday, he touched upon a topic that goes beyond the sport.

As most of the attention has shifted to the circumstances that led to the firing of former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, Staley was asked about his stance on the situation.

Staley began by honing in on those who were affected by Gruden’s emails.

“I think that respect and trust in this world are really, really difficult to achieve, and I think about all the people that were affected by those emails,” Staley said.

“Whether you’re a person of color, whether, you know, a gender, your sexual orientation. The people that were affected by those emails, that’s who I’m thinking about.

Soon after, without leaving any details out, Staley delivered a powerful message that touched millions.

“Kindness and lifting people up and respecting people you don’t know, I just think that that’s such a big part of our thing here … listening to people and learning about people because I think what you’ll discover is that we have so much more in common than not.”

The 38-year old Staley has quickly established himself as a fan favorite not only for what he’s accomplished on Sundays but the fact that he is genuine and authentic and has the mentality of a veteran head coach.

The relationships and trust Staley has created with his players, coupled with his brilliant and fearless mind from the sidelines, have reflected on the early success the Chargers have had this season.

Chargers’ Brandon Staley is NFL’s Coach of the Year clubhouse leader

Brandon Staley has established himself as everyone’s favorite head coach.

Entering the 2021 season, even before making his coaching debut, Brandon Staley was highly regarded by many.

He was tied for the second-best odds to win Coach of the Year with a handful of others. But now, Staley is the favorite to win the prestigious award at +600 following the Chargers’ win over the Raiders, per Tipico Sportsbook.

That means if you bet $100 and Staley earns the honors, you will pocket $600.

Following Staley is Cardinals’ Kliff Kingsbury (+750), Rams’ Sean McVay (+1000), Raiders’ Jon Gruden (+1200), and five coaches that are tied for the fifth-best odds. 

The 38-year-old head coach embraces analytics, but at the same time, uses his brilliant football mind to create a perfect blend, which has all translated to the football field. 

Not only has the team been firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball, but Staley also has significantly improved areas that cost the team a lot of close games in seasons prior, such as game management and strategy in crucial situations with an aggressive, effective, and efficient approach.

Those in the front office, coaches, and players on the team are completely bought into what Staley has done thus far, including quarterback Justin Herbert, who believes the first-year head coach is creating a winning culture for the franchise.

“I think he believes in our offense just like we believe in each other,” Herbert said. “But being aggressive and using some of the data to our advantage is the best of both worlds. I think Coach Staley has done a great job communicating with us.”

Staley was hired in January by the Chargers after overseeing the Rams defense, which was the top-ranked unit in 2020.

Before he was a defensive coordinator, Staley’s career in the NFL started in 2017 with the Bears as an outside linebackers coach. He then went from the Broncos to hold the same role in 2019.

Chargers HC Brandon Staley among ‘bandwagons to hop on in 2021’

All aboard the Brandon Staley hype train.

When the Chargers fired Anthony Lynn after the 2020 season, many believed that the franchise was going to hire an offensive-minded head coach to maximize quarterback Justin Herbert’s potential.

Instead, Los Angeles decided to bring in Brandon Staley, the defensive guru, to be the man in charge.

Staley was brought onboard after overseeing the Rams’ top-ranked defense last season. Since he entered the building in his new role, Staley has inspired optimism with his additions this offseason, both new players and the coaches, paired with his vision for the team.

On top of that, Staley’s defensive expertise and his ability to get the best out of players — with playmakers highlighted by Derwin James, Joey Bosa, Kenneth Murray, Michael Davis, Chris Harris Jr. and rookie Asante Samuel Jr. — also brings plenty of intrigue.

NFL Media’s Adam Schein, who recently made a list of the best bandwagons to jump on ahead of the 2021 season, and he listed Staley at No. 3 in his rankings.

Here’s what Schein said about Staley:

He’s just SO well-regarded by everyone who has been around him. Last season with the Rams, in Staley’s first year as an NFL defensive coordinator, he churned out the No. 1 scoring and total defense in the league. That unit undoubtedly had special talents in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, but what do you call Joey Bosa and — when healthy — Derwin James? The offense will keep rolling with Herbert under center, and the defense will maximize its talent with Staley at the controls.

Historically, attention to detail and culture have let the Chargers down. That’s about to change. The Bolts were wise to invest in Staley. You should, too.

What matters the most is that Staley will have to be better in areas where former head coach Anthony Lynn’s failures cost the team a lot of close games the past few seasons: game management, strategy in crucial situations and special teams competence.

However, the bottom line is that Staley hasn’t even coached a single game yet, but the reasons listed above are all valid as to why he is one of the most enticing individuals heading into the 2021 season.

What would you consider a successful 2021 Chargers season?

The Los Angeles Chargers are a highly anticipated team entering the 2021 season.

The Chargers are in preparation for the 2021 season, which will mark the start of a new era under first-year head coach Brandon Staley.

Los Angeles saw some turnover of players from previous seasons, but they added a few this offseason to complete a roster that’s capable of competing with anyone.

Earlier, I laid out three questions that could ultimately determine the team’s success rate this season.

With fan’s anticipation for the new year at an all-time high, I wanted to see what would be considered a “successful” season for the Bolts.

Submit your vote poll and let us know.

[crowdsignal poll=10847154]

Chargers HC Brandon Staley reveals traits at positions of need ahead of NFL draft

Chargers head coach Brandon Staley was very open when asked what type of players the team is looking for.

With the 2021 NFL draft just weeks away, rumors are flying and hats are trying to tipped in terms of who teams might be selecting.

For the Chargers, head coach Brandon Staley, who spoke with the media on Thursday, was asked a few questions in regards to what type of players the team is looking for at positions that need to be addressed.

Starting with the offensive line, Staley emphasized size as a key factor, adding that they want to become a bigger team.

If we are trying to connect the dots, specifically at the tackle position, guys like Christian Darrisaw (6′ 4″, 322), Samuel Cosmi (6′ 6″, 314), Teven Jenkins (6′ 5″, 317) and Spencer Brown (6′ 8″, 311) fall under this category, while Rashawn Slater (6′ 4″, 304) and Alijah Vera-Tucker (6′ 4″, 308) might fall short of their thresholds.

Shifting gears to the other glaring position of need, with that being cornerback, Staley said players they value have to be able to cover man-to-man, have movement ability when playing off coverage, ball skills when they’re at the third level and the ability to tackle in open space.

To me, Patrick Surtain, Jaycee Horn, Asante Samuel, Jr., and Greg Newsome are a few that fit the description.

Staley was really open when answering the questions, not appearing to have a poker face. It will be really interesting to see how they piece the rest of the roster when the draft rolls around. For now, we can use the information given and continue to try to predict the outcome.

4 players who may follow Chargers HC Brandon Staley in free agency

The Chargers could garner the attention from these soon-to-be free agents.

The Chargers hired Brandon Staley to be the new man in charge.

In just one season as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, he was the engineer of the top defense in the NFL. He was respected by the handful that he coached, and some of those players may want to follow him.

With that being said, here are four soon-to-be free agents that Staley could potentially bring with him.

OLB Leonard Floyd

A former No. 9 overall pick of the Bears, Floyd was close to being labeled as a “bust” but Staley was the one who rejuvenated his career. Floyd is coming off his best year as a pro after totaling career-highs in sacks (12.5), tackles (55) and quarterback hits (19). He had a career-best 52 total pressures. Floyd also had 31 defensive stops and has been a consistently solid run defender over his career. With Melvin Ingram slated to be a free agent, he would give the Chargers another much-needed pass-rush presence alongside Joey Bosa.

CB Troy Hill

When you’re in the same secondary as Jalen Ramsey, you will likely have your work cut out for you, as opposing quarterbacks will look your way plenty. Hill did a fine job in that role, coming up in a big way. He finished tied for second on the team with three interceptions and scored three of the Rams’ defensive touchdowns on the year. Hill also had 10 passes defensed. Based on how Staley runs his system, he will likely load up on defensive backs and Hill is one that he would love to reunite with.

S John Johnson

After suffering an injury in 2019 that limited him to just six games, Johnson bounced back this past season, being the only player to play every defensive snap. Johnson logged 105 combined tackles and an interception. In addition, he only allowed a 4.9 yards per target. Versatility is everything and Johnson is a smart, adept in pass coverage and run defense, who’s capable of playing both safety positions, cornerback and linebacker.

DL Morgan Fox

The addition of Staley led to Fox’s breakout season in 2020. Fox came into the season with only 4.5 sacks and six tackles for loss in a three-season span. But he topped those this past season, finishing with six sacks and eight tackles for loss. The Chargers have promising defensive linemen in Linval Joseph, Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery, but Fox could be a huge depth piece up front.

5 things to know about Chargers new head coach Brandon Staley

Get familiar with the Los Angeles Chargers’ new head coach.

The Chargers have a new head coach in Brandon Staley, former defensive coordinator for the Rams.

Who is Staley? What should fans of the Bolts know about the first-time head coach as the new leader of the team?

Here are five things to know about the 38-year old:

Made his rounds

Before making the leap to the NFL, Staley worked for 11 years as a collegiate assistant. His stops included Northern Illinois (2006-08), St. Thomas of Minnesota (2009), Hutchinson Community College (2010-11), a graduate assistant job at Tennessee (2012), John Carroll University (2013 and 2015-16) and a season at James Madison (2014).

Worked with some of the best defensive minds

Mentorship is everything if you want to be successful, and Staley was fortunate to receive that upon getting into the NFL. Staley began his career with the Bears as their outside linebackers coach, working alongside John Fox and Vic Fangio in 2017. In 2019, when Fangio was hired as the Broncos’ head coach, he followed him to Denver and became their outside linebackers coach there, too. Between the two teams, Staley worked with notables like Khalil Mack, Bradley Chubb and Von Miller.

Defensive dominance

After earning the job as the Rams defensive coordinator, Staley solidified himself as one of the top innovators in only a matter of a season. Called “The Sean McVay of Defense,” Staley was an engineer of a defense that was top-ranked in points allowed at 18.6 per game, yards allowed per game (281.9) and passing yards allowed per game (190.7). Cornerback Jalen Ramsey and defensive tackle Aaron Donald were voted All-Pro under Staley, but he helped a handful of other defenders flourish.

Former college quarterback

While he’s known for being a defensive mastermind, a part of his success is being able to see that side of the spectrum from a quarterback’s perspective, which is the position he played in 2003 and 2004 at the University of Dayton. There, he threw for six touchdown passes and three interceptions for 992 passing yards.

Cancer survivor

Staley is a cancer survivor. He overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma in his 20s. Staley, who is married and the father of three children, was not the only person from his family who was diagnosed with it. Staley’s father is currently being treated for prostate cancer. His mother died from cancer in 2004.

Twitter reacts to Chargers’ hiring of Brandon Staley as next head coach

What does the general population think of the Chargers’ hiring of Brandon Staley as their new head coach?

After parting ways with Anthony Lynn, the Chargers found the new man in charge, with the hiring of former Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.

The announcement came after Staley flew in for his second interview. It came as a bit of a surprise to some fans, knowing the Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was viewed as the favorite.

However, the 38-year old must have impressed the upper management in his interviews, guaranteeing success on both sides of the football and positive results for years to come.

How did the general population react to Los Angeles’ hiring of Staley? Let’s take a look at some of the top tweets.