Out Of Charge

By Mike Rifkin

The Los Angeles Chargers got embarrassed on Thursday night by their division rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders, 63-21. The Raiders posted a franchise record in points. To put things in perspective, the Raiders were winning 42-0 at halftime. Things were so bad that the analysts on Prime were talking about a lack of effort, and Richard Sherman even said the Chargers should “fire Staley at halftime.”

 Well, they didn’t do that, but. On Friday, the Chargers fired Head Coach Brandon Staley and General Manager Tom Telesco. The Chargers have to be considered the biggest disappointment in the NFL; with the roster they constructed, they shouldn’t be 5-9, but here we are. Yes, the Chargers have had significant injuries, but other teams have yet to throw in the towel. Brandon Staley’s tenure ends with him with a record of 24-24. Based on how last season ended, Staley entered this year on the hot seat; in the AFC Wild Card round, the Chargers blew a 27-0 lead against the Jaguars and lost 31-30. Staley’s in-game decisions at times left fans scratching their heads. In his first season, in week 18 against the Raiders, the Chargers needed a tie to make the playoffs, and late in the fourth quarter, Staley called a timeout, which led the Raiders to kick the game-winning field goal and leave the Chargers out of the playoffs. As for Telesco, he’s put together a very talented roster, but this would be his fourth head coaching hire, and ownership had enough. 

The Chargers opening is the third coaching vacancy thus far after the Panthers and Raiders fired their coaches. Now, the Chargers job is better than those jobs because of Justin Herbert. Herbert signed a five-year contract worth 262.5 Million Dollars in July. But because his rookie contract is up and the Chargers couldn’t win with the talent they had, they will now have to make some difficult decisions. The incoming GM will have their work cut out for them, but if they hire the right coach, the Chargers could be back in the playoff hunt next season.