Staley’s D-cline may be testing Spanos’ patience
Hired because of his reputed expertise on defense, Brandon Staley presided Sunday over another unraveling inside the sunken, sterile Kroenke Dome.
The Detroit Lions went for 533 yards on 8.3 yards per play and walked off with a 41-38 victory that plunged the Chargers under .500.
Justin Herbert was brilliant. Keenan Allen was scintillating.
The offense finished by going touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown.
But there is no “D” in Chargers, Staley or Los Angeles — especially when confronted by a capable NFL quarterback.
Where do things stand now for a leadership-challenged franchise that still interests many delusional San Diegans who seem to think, against their better judgment, that Chairman Dean Spanos and President of Football Operations John Spanos someday will lead the club to its first Super Bowl victory?
One, the claim by Dean Spanos that leasing an NFL palace would improve the club’s competitiveness has not manifested, as today’s athletes say, in the annual AFC West race.
Seems the Chargers (4-5) won’t win the four-team heat for the 11th consecutive year under the John-Tom tandem of his son and GM Tom Telesco, which Dean empowered after he fired the Generalissimo, A.J. Smith, in January 2013.
Two, the defense’s glaring peculiarities mean it shouldn’t be assumed Staley will make it to a fourth season under John Spanos and Telesco, even though former coaches Anthony
Lynn and Mike McCoy were each given a fourth year.
The NFL dishes out three wild cards these days, not just two, so there’s still hope within the building Staley can reach a second consecutive postseason and then do better than see a 27-0 lead evaporate.
This week’s match serves up raw Packers QB Jordan Love, making L.A. a threepoint favorite to win at Lambeau Field.
Even so, it’s worth revisiting Andy Reid’s “baseball bat” thesis on the pivotal third year for an NFL head coach.
“Normally your third year, it fits,” Reid told the Kansas City Star before his third season with the Chiefs in 2015. “You kind of establish what you are or what direction you’re going.”
Reid added: “If you just study the longevity of coaches that third year, if it’s not rolling, they don’t quite make it through the four- to five-year contract they’ve signed. It hits you in the head like it’s a baseball bat.”
The Lions’ offense swung a mean Louisville Slugger by rushing for 200 yards.
Jared Goff exploited Chargers pass defenders by looking them off and completing passes against loose coverage, both zone and man.
So John Spanos, nearly three years after hiring Staley, who was a smooth-talking Rams assistant and a media darling, must try to make sense of the defense’s uneven track record.
Though the defense fattened its stats against subpar QBs such as Zach Wilson, Tyson Bagent and Aidan O’Connell, it nevertheless sits 24th in points allowed, 31st in yards allowed and 32nd in first downs allowed.
Considering also no playoff victories dotting his resume and offensive coordinator/ media darling Kellen Moore waiting in the wings, Staley may not command the same level of patience that enabled McCoy and Lynn to survive third seasons that yielded records of 4-12 and 5-11, respectively.
Sounding Off
The Lions’ offensive line deserved Sunday’s game ball. Led by star right tackle Penei Sewell, the front appears ably coached by Hank Fraley and Steve Oliver, who were part of Dale Lindsey’s program at USD.
• Ollie Wilson, smart man. Seeing greatness in Keenan Allen a decade ago in San Diego, the running backs coach told Allen he could end up in Canton and therefore should do his best to squeeze every drop out of his talent. Allen’s mastery at wide receiver will warrant consideration from Hall voters.
• Number of great Chargers teams Allen has played on in his 11 seasons? Zero.
• Did John Spanos choose the lesser coordinator off Sean McVay’s Rams staff ? Kevin O’Connell’s one-and-half-year run already has stamped the Vikings coach/former San Diego State QB as better than average.
• Paul DePodesta, former Padres executive and longtime La Jolla resident, got it right when he pushed for his Browns executive colleagues to hire
Kevin Stefanski. Mike McCarthy
• isn’t regretting his decision to move on from Moore.
The anticipated increased rest for the defense has arrived.
Albeit against a soft schedule, the Cowboys (6-3) are second in time per drive (3:06) and plays per drive (6.5) on offense, lightening the defense’s load to second in fewest plays. A year ago, the unit finished 27th.