LA Chargers fans still haven't enjoyed any Sunday football two weeks into the 2025 NFL season. With the Bolts playing in primetime for the second week in a row, fans had the chance to sit back and watch the league's storylines unfold on Sunday afternoon; one of those storylines involved former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley.
Former Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore hired Staley to be the Saints' defensive coordinator after getting the head coaching job this spring. Staley spent the 2024 season as a defensive assistant with the San Francisco 49ers after crafting one of the worst defenses in the NFL with the Chargers.
Staley and the Saints played his former team on Sunday with an inherent advantage on defense. Mac Jones started in place of Brock Purdy, who will miss several weeks with a turf toe injury. The Saints weren't able to take advantage of this bleak quarterback situation, instead giving Jones one of the best games of his entire career en route to a 26-21 loss.
Chargers fans watch Brandon Staley's stock fall further in Saints' loss
Kyle Shanahan may be an offensive wizard, but it's never a good look if Mac Jones is tearing up your defense. After all, once upon a time Staley was also a coaching wizard, although that moniker is long gone.
Jones led the 49ers by completing 26 of 39 passes for 279 yards with three passing touchdowns. Jones has never thrown for 250 yards with three touchdowns in the same game. All he needed to do was square off against Staley.
The Saints may not be the most talented team in the league with many expecting New Orleans to contend for the No. 1 overall pick in 2026. That being said, New Orleans has consistently fielded a respectable defense in recent years. Staley is at risk of breaking that trend.
This was a relatively easy opportunity for the Saints to steal a win against a backup quarterback who, statistically, has been one of the worst quarterbacks of this decade. And New Orleans was definitely close with their own mediocre starting quarterback keeping them in the game.
Ultimately, it wasn't enough. The offense didn't light the world on fire, but the defense allowed San Francisco to do whatever it wanted on offense. After all, the Saints have allowed 50% of third-down attempts to convert through two games. That would have ranked 31st in the NFL last season.
Thankfully, Chargers fans no longer have to watch Staley's defense operate with any skin in the game. Instead of being a stressor, it has become a source of entertainment while the Chargers prepare for Monday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders.