Chargers Gamers Voice Help for Staley After Playoff Exit

COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert, Joey Bosa and the remainder of the Los Angeles Chargers have been nonetheless stinging Sunday from the frustration of seeing their season finish in Jacksonville lower than 24 hours earlier.

“Everyone can be fortunate to have a coach like Staley. He’s been an unbelievable chief and has the respect of everybody on our workforce,” Herbert mentioned. “He’s real, he’s himself and has been the identical individual for the previous two years.”

Staley has a 19-16 document, together with playoffs, in his two seasons. He led the Chargers to their first playoff look since 2018, however his choices that contributed to his workforce blowing a 27-0 lead have prompted intense scrutiny.

If proprietor Dean Spanos decides to maneuver on from Staley or basic supervisor Tom Telesco, Bosa would find yourself enjoying for his fourth head coach in eight seasons. Telesco’s 10 seasons as GM embrace three playoff appearances and no division titles.

Political Cartoons

While Bosa, the Chargers’ standout cross rusher, is used to alter, he mentioned he helps Staley and is snug with the workers in place.

“I actually do belief these coaches. He’s a contemporary head coach on this league. To count on he’s going to know all the things straight away is type of foolish,” Bosa mentioned. “I feel we have to simply preserve constructing. It doesn’t occur in a single day.”

Last season, Los Angeles dropped three of its closing 4 video games, together with 35-32 in time beyond regulation within the finale at Las Vegas. Staley referred to as a late timeout when the Raiders have been content material to play for a tie, which might have put the Chargers within the playoffs.

This season, the Chargers have been 6-6 earlier than profitable 4 straight to succeed in the playoffs. But Staley’s determination to present vital enjoying time to starters in final week’s meaningless regular-season finale at Denver backfired when receiver Mike Williams suffered a season-ending again harm late within the first half of a 31-28 loss.

Then got here Saturday’s second-half collapse in opposition to the Jaguars, when most of the Chargers’ shortcomings resurfaced.

The teaching workers struggled to match Jacksonville’s halftime changes, and the run protection faltered on the worst potential time.

Los Angeles was outscored 103-52 within the third quarter this season, together with the playoffs. Travis Etienne’s 25-yard run late within the fourth quarter to arrange Riley Patterson’s game-winning, 36-yard area aim was just like James Robinson’s 50-yard landing within the Jaguars’ 38-10 win on Sept. 25.

Bosa, who mentioned he was dissatisfied that some teammates have been waving goodbye to followers when it was 27-0 in the course of the first half, thinks the one hurdle the Chargers have not overcome is discovering a method to not let issues snowball uncontrolled.

Bosa let his frustration get to him in the course of the fourth quarter when he slammed his helmet to the turf, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after Christian Kirk caught a 9-yard TD cross. That led to the Jaguars changing a 2-point conversion to get inside 30-28 and set themselves as much as win in regulation.

“It looks as if when issues are going too properly, and one unhealthy play occurs, you type of get that collective sense, like, ‘Oh gosh, what’s occurring?’ I feel I’ve it ingrained in my head a bit bit as a result of it’s occurred 1,000,000 instances,” Bosa mentioned.

If Staley returns, will probably be as a result of he led the workforce to the playoffs regardless of accidents to key starters. Offensive deal with Rashawn Slater (biceps) performed in solely three video games, Bosa missed 12 with a groin harm, and receiver Keenan Allen performed in solely two of the primary 9 video games due to a nagging hamstring harm.

“I really feel like what we constructed right here and what we’ve continued to construct day by day, it’s one thing particular. And that first half undoubtedly confirmed that,” security Derwin James mentioned.

AP NFL: https://USA Prime Time.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL