Brandon Staley arrived at the Los Angeles Chargers practice facility Friday morning with very little, if any, sleep. He knew what was coming. Hell, we all did that. If you watched some highlights, maybe watched the score, or even watched the game on Thursday night, you probably made the same face my two-year-old made when he tasted his first lemon last summer.
The whole thing was sour.
The Raiders beat the Chargers in Las Vegas in a game that was on display in every Amazon Prime home, and Staley's seat was no longer hot, it was on fire.
Around 8 a.m. Friday, he walked into the office of owner Dean Spanos and was fired after a brief conversation. Chargers general manager Tom Telesco was also fired. It was a surprising fall for Staley, who climbed the NFL coaching ladder with extraordinary ambition. The 41-year-old had one of the fastest rises in NFL history. Four years after serving as NCAA Division III defensive coordinator, he remotely transformed the Los Angeles Rams' defense via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic, coaching them into the No. 1 defense in the NFL. After just one season as the Rams' defensive coordinator and game manager, teams like the Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles competed to hire him. All the owners wanted “the defensive Sean McVay.”
The Chargers won it. They thought they were getting a supernova, a football savant.
Maybe it was all too much, too fast.
Three years ago, many coaches around the football world wondered how a man who coaches small college football could land the coveted job of leading quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers after just one season as an NFL coordinator? There was a belief around the league that Staley had underperformed from day one because they thought Herbert was so good, how could the Chargers not win big in their division? And why aren't they in the playoffs every year?
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Despite this rise, which defied conventional wisdom, Staley was never known for exuding much humility. From some of his answers at press conferences to some around the league saying his entire perspective was a little too cocky, the Staley vision never took hold. To be fair to Staley, he's not the only arrogant coach to lose heart under these circumstances. I've had several conversations with general managers over the years who have told me that they want their coaches to be confident, and numerous experienced coaches have their agents approach the Spanos family and tell them that they can be the right fit Highlight Herbert's talents.
Dean Spanos said in his official statement after the layoffs were announced that the Chargers “need a new vision.” A short time later, a coach who wanted the job texted me: “Give me Justin Herbert and I’ll show you that vision.”
If Herbert truly is an outstanding player, it's time for him to show it. That will be his challenge for whoever is chosen. If the next coach is also out, we will likely look at quarterback in a completely different light. The search is ongoing.
Next coach dismissal?
There are no surprises in Washington at the end of the regular season. At this time, based on multiple conversations with people, it is known throughout the building that Ron Rivera and some front office staff will be let go. Since taking over the team, new owner Josh Harris had a vision of keeping Rivera in place until the end of the season and then moving on. It's really no longer a secret.
A similar picture is emerging in New England, where most expect a split to occur at the end of this season. The Athletic's Jeff Howe went into more detail here:
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(Oh, and the Patriots won't trade for Vrabel if they and Belichick part ways. That hasn't changed.)
Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Antonio Pierce is doing everything he can to get the head coaching job permanently. His interim experience has won over the Raiders' locker room, and with three games left, he's getting one final push to show he's the right person for the job.
In recent weeks, he has received advice from his former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, as well as Adam Gase and Marvin Lewis. It's like Pierce is cramming for a test and hiring a school of tutors who have seen it all to give him some answers. Raiders owner Mark Davis will still have to start looking for a coach at the end of the year even if he decides to hire Pierce. This is still a wait and see situation depending on how the next few weeks go.
Take it out of the game
On Monday night, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was injured in a hip-drop tackle, just as NFL owners were gathering in Dallas to begin discussions on some important NFL matters. The hip-drop tackle was the headliner as commissioner Roger Goodell made it clear the league wanted him out of the game. The fact that Goodell expresses such a clear opinion in meetings with the league's owners shows you where this is headed. The league will likely ban it before next season. Expect more movement in this area, the tush push and the kickoff play, when the NFL's competition committee meets in February and at the spring meetings in March.
CJ Stroud suffered a concussion in last Sunday's game and the rookie quarterback is in the concussion protocol. Stroud still needs to pass a few more tests and a team source said he won't play against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday and wasn't at the facility much last week.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have an opportunity right here on Sunday night, and they know it. There's still a chance they can clinch the AFC's No. 1 seed, and their game against the Baltimore Ravens could be the deciding factor. If the Jaguars win, they will earn a game against Baltimore in the standings.
It will not be easy. Jacksonville is coming off two losses and QB Trevor Lawrence is dealing with a painful ankle sprain. The Ravens have been in good shape all season and have a certain attitude right now. Why? At meetings last week, they discussed their game against the Jaguars in Jacksonville last season, in which the Ravens blew a fourth-quarter lead and lost 28-17. Baltimore had Jacksonville on third-and-extra on the winning play and couldn't close out the game. A Ravens source told me, “It's a game that still hurts us.”
So here comes Baltimore and here comes Nelson Agholor. Before I get into how he was described to me as “the unsung hero of the wide receiver room,” no matter what he accomplishes as a player, I can't erase this great clip from his time with the Eagles and this brief comment. Please look:
Now in his ninth season, Agholor joined the Ravens last March and has as many touchdowns as Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie standout Zay Flowers. This is a space that has been criticized for years, and now Lamar Jackson has a multitude of pass catchers who can all do it.
Well done
There weren't many memorable moments for the Titans this season, but what they pulled off against the Dolphins on “Monday Night Football” will go down as the greatest comeback of the season.
Tennessee became the first team in NFL history to stage a comeback of more than 14 points in the final three minutes to win the game.
Now here comes the crackle of history. Let's go back. The team scored a touchdown, cutting Miami's lead from 27-13 to 27-19 with 2:40 left in the fourth quarter. Head coach Mike Vrabel and the Titans opted to score two points instead of shooting the extra point. The choice was easy for me because everything was planned in advance.
How?
Vrabel and his game strategist/director of football administration, John Streicher (his nickname is “Stretch”), had actually discussed the exact game situation the night before over a lavish steak dinner. Before dinner, they had reviewed some of the league's games, focusing on one particular team in their division that wasn't using that strategy after trailing by eight points in the fourth quarter. While enjoying a tomahawk steak, they settled in and discussed their own strategy. Along with other employees and Vrabel's family, it became the focus of dinner conversation. This crucial discussion couldn't have gone better for the Titans because when the situation presented itself, the Titans knew exactly what they wanted.
Remember that the chances of success for a two-point attempt are 50:50. When teams have something they believe in, they feel like the percentages will be even higher depending on how the opposing team looks and the play they have set up. Next time I'm at the roulette table, I'd love to have Stretch with me! (Black 17. Always.)
Joe Cool Flacco
The plan was always that the Cleveland Browns would sign Joe Flacco, despite some roster management decisions that sent him to the practice squad in recent weeks. It looked sloppy, but it all made sense to the Browns' front office and Flacco's agent, Joe Linta.
When I asked a Browns source to describe Flacco, they said, “He's the adult on the team.”
Flacco, nearly 39, is the oldest player on the Browns' roster and has the most experience in big moments, including winning a Super Bowl. He also knows the AFC North well. As long as Kevin Stefanski continues to run the ball to give the best part of his team, the defense, time to rest, the Browns have a really good chance of overcoming an incredible amount of injuries and making the playoffs.
70
He decides what he wants.
“I can hit 70,” Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey said this week. That's the distance he thinks he can shoot a field goal in a live game. Why should we doubt the newcomer? The former football player hit all 30 of his field goal attempts and 39 of his 42 extra point attempts in his first NFL season. Even though he wasn't asked to go 70 yards in a live game, his attitude shows that he believes in it, and that's the biggest part of the fight.
The longest field goal ever made in an NFL game is 66 yards by Baltimore's Justin Tucker in 2022. The 28-year-old Aubrey, nicknamed “Butter” by his quarterback Dak Prescott, can on Sunday Don't have a nervous breakdown in Buffalo, where the 40s are expected with some wind for most of the game.
If the regular season is coming to an end and you are looking for more information about your team or favorite player, feel free to comment below the article. I will work and dig for you!
(Photo by Brandon Staley: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)