Sebastián Martínez Christensen, ESPN Digital Writer Sep. 20, 2023, 8:00 a.m. ET
Close• Worked for the newspaper La Nación and the Tennis Properties Limited Production Company. • Covers the NFL, NBA, College Football for ESPN Deportes. • He is currently a columnist for ESPN Digital and participates in Jorge Ramos y la Banda de el.
The Chargers franchise has lived with constant disappointment in recent years. What is the root of the problem?
MIAMI — It’s more common than you think to live in NFL purgatory.
After all, it is extremely difficult to get a franchise quarterback, something reserved only for lucky teams.
Over the past 21 years, the Los Angeles Chargers have gone from Drew Brees, to Philip Rivers, to Justin Herbert.
Three quarterbacks, who when all is said and done, will surely be in the Hall of Fame. To say they have been lucky is an understatement. So why the constant disappointments?
Chargers owner Dean Spanos has a reputation for not breaking the bank (I assume that’s why, among other things, he’s a billionaire). And even more importantly, he has always wanted the power structure to be clear.
As happened in the Dallas Cowboys for so many years, when Jimmy Johnson was fired despite his sporting success to make way for more “passive” coaches, the Chargers have followed a similar path: always looking for submissive men who do not attack the structure bureaucratic.
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley talks to players in the second quarter of a game against the Miami Dolphins at SoFi Stadium on September 10, 2023 in Inglewood, California. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Mike McCoy. Anthony Lynn. Brandon Staley.
Between the three of them over the last 10 years, they have combined for an 81-86 record with a 2-3 playoff record.
The most recent postseason loss was last year, when they blew a 27-point lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The common denominator of all these disappointing years is that it seemed that they were doing better, considering the talent of their squads.
Only two days have passed, and it is premature to draw absolute conclusions, but the Chargers are off to a 0-2 start and tempers are running high in Los Angeles.
And when it comes to pointing fingers, or finding blame, it’s easy to look in Brandon Staley’s direction.
Staley came to the Chargers, hoping he would become the defensive version of Sean McVay.
The problem is that their defense has been a constant disappointment despite having many very talented names.
Take as an example the team they lost to on the first day: the Miami Dolphins. When defensive specialist Brian Flores arrived in Miami, the defense immediately took a leap in quality. When offensive specialist Mike McDaniel arrived, the offense immediately took a leap in quality.
Logical, considering that each coach has his area of specialty.
Editorial Selections
2 Related
Except that the opposite has happened in the Chargers, because Staley fails to maximize his specialty, and that should be the first alarm for the Los Angeles team.
In Staley’s first season, the defense was an absolute disaster and they did not qualify for the playoffs despite a historically good year from Herbert as a rookie. The defense allowed 27 points per game.
In their second season, the defense was mediocre again, and although they suffered a host of injuries, at this point, you are tired of making excuses for the Chargers.
And this season, after two games, defense is once again the main reason they are 0-2.
Against Miami, they marked man to man, and were dominated by the Dolphins’ offense; they lost 36-34.
Against a poor Tennessee Titans offense, which had committed three losses and not scored touchdowns in its debut, they allowed 5.4 yards per play, and made Ryan Tannehill look like Joe Montana in the fourth quarter and in overtime; they lost 27-24 and the Titans had not scored 27 points since Week 12 of last year.
Two more even games, two more defeats. As they call it in Los Angeles and San Diego, Staley’s team is “Chargering.”
It is a term that arose from constant frustrations over the years, which at this point does nothing but spread negative energies.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert reacts to the bench during the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
And just as I say that they are tired of looking for excuses for the defense, we should not exempt Justin Herbert from responsibility either.
In both games, Herbert and the offense had a chance to win games late, and failed to execute when it mattered most.
Could it be that the playoff loss to Jacksonville left psychological scars?
“It’s a convenient theory for you in the press,” an agitated Staley said at a news conference. “The loss to Jacksonville has nothing to do with these first two games.”
It was curious to see Staley so defensive with the season just started. Not necessarily emanating tranquility towards him.
The arrival of Kellen Moore as the new offensive coordinator was supposed to take these Chargers to the next level, and maybe it will end up happening, but for now it seems to be the same story as recent years.
Consider that Derrick Henry didn’t surpass 100 yards, the Chargers sacked Tannehill five times, and still lost.
In fact, the Chargers scored over 50 points in the first two games and didn’t commit a turnover, but they have an 0-2 record.
It’s the first time in six years that the Chargers have started 0-2, and Staley’s seat is starting to heat up.
This week, the Chargers face the Minnesota Vikings and both are yet to win. To say that it is a decisive match for both is not to do justice to the importance of this game.
Kevin O’Connell is the head coach of the Vikings, and along with Staley, were the coordinators under Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams.
In case anyone is wondering, Minnesota’s offense took a leap in quality, and the Vikings won the NFC North in O’Connell’s first year.
To live happier moments in the history of the Chargers, I share the highlights of the EPIC IN MIAMIfor many, the best game in NFL history.
*Local teams are in second place
POWER 6
As I always say, it is never good to play every game. In other words, there are some that are better to pass up. For this reason, I decided to add this section, to reveal my six favorite teams with a betting line. Opinions are welcome, since the idea is to add an attribute that is beneficial for readers. The order of the teams is not random and the predictions do not affect the total statistics.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
MIAMI DOLPHINS
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
SUICIDE POOL, ‘ELIMINATOR CHALLENGE’
There are many of us who are in this type of competition. In this case the betting line does not matter. Simply do not repeat any team throughout each week. Of course, these predictions will not affect the total statistics either. In parentheses, the teams chosen so far.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
FIXED WITH LINE OF BET
At the request of many, we added the fixed line bet starting in Week 11 of 2013.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
TEASER 3
I have always said that I am not a fan of teasers, since they come from the word tempt and are called “sucker bets”, but, at the request of several readers, we added this section. Here, as there are three teams, the line is modified by 6 points, but you must get all three correct to collect. Below, I name the three teams with the altered lines in parentheses.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (-1 and a half)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (+12 and a half)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (+7 1/2)
OVER/UNDER
At the request of several readers, we include a high and low match for each week.
FALCONS-LIONS HIGHS (44 and a half)
RAVENS-COLTS LOSSES (45 and a half)
NCAA
My two favorite college football bets.
NC STATE WOLFPACK (-9 and a half)
MARYLAND TERRAPINS (-7 and a half)
Total statistics (With+Without+Teaser+Ups and Downs+NCAA):
42-30
With Bet Line:
18-14 (7-9)
No Bet Line:
20-12 (10-6)
Surprise of the Week (without line):
0-2 (0-1)
Fixed of the Week (without line):
2-0 (1-0)
Fixed of the Week (with line):
1-1 (0-1)
Power 6 (with line):
6-6 (2-4)
Teaser 3:
0-2 (0-1)
Ups and downs:
1-3 (1-1)
NCAA:
3-1 (1-1)
Suicide Pool (no line):
2-0 (WAS, SFO)
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2023-09-20 12:00:00
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