The Chargers let a postseason berth slip through their fingers Sunday, and Rex Ryan believes their head coach is to blame.
Brandon Staley isn’t totally at fault for Los Angeles not taking care of business against Las Vegas in regulation. But the finger probably can be pointed at Staley for the Raiders winning in overtime, as the Silver and Black appeared willing to let the game end in a tie. A draw would have resulted in both teams reaching the playoffs, but Staley’s inexplicable timeout paved the way for Las Vegas to kick a game-winning field goal.
To say Ryan took Staley to task Monday morning would be an understatement.
“We’re being robbed as NFL fans that we don’t get to see Justin Herbert in the playoffs,” Ryan said on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “You know who it was. The dude with the small hat, little hat. Little hat right there that has no clue. This is what he’s done all year. This guy coaches like he’s a Division III coach that nobody cares about. It’s hard not to make the playoffs with a franchise quarterback. But congratulations, you did it. How he faces his football team after this one is incredible to me.
“Look, the Raiders were content. They were going to take the tie. They absolutely were going to take the tie. But homeboy’s sitting there, timeout. What? You’re brilliant with those timeouts. You got a way better football team than (the one) you got beat by and you lost. I just think it’s ridiculous. And here’s the thing: people praise him. I’m old school. ‘Rex, you’re old school. This guy gets it.’ Yeah, this dude has no idea. He has no experience, he got nothing and to me, you inherited a team. You were born on third base and think you hit a triple. That’s this cat right here.”
It’s not often a new head coach enters a situation better than the one presented to Staley in Los Angeles. And if the Bolts put together another disappointing campaign in 2022, Chargers brass might have to evaluate Staley’s job security.
