Perhaps the biggest NFL tradition every Sunday is the LA Chargers playing an entertaining game but losing a one-score contest in the last minute in heartbreaking fashion. That was yet again the case on Sunday, as Brandon Staley and the defense failed Justin Herbert and the offense yet again.
Herbert put together one of his most impressive showings of the season against the Detroit Lions but it was not enough. The Chargers defense allowed 41 points and over 500 yards of offense, completely squandering the 38 points that Herbert and the offense put up.
This has, unfortunately, become a common trend for the Chargers. Statistically, the Bolts have been one of the worst defenses in the sport since Staley took over as head coach. This year specifically has been bad as the Bolts' defense has four games where it allowed 475 yards of offense. The rest of the NFL has allowed eight.
When he was asked about the defensive performance after the game, Staley echoed the same comments that the fanbase has been saying all season: he simply was not good enough.
Brandon Staley on today's defensive performance:
— Bolt Beat (@BB_Chargers) November 13, 2023
"Yeah, I didn't do a good enough job for us on defense today. That was the story."
Uhh, ya think? The sad part is that this is not the first time that Staley has said these exact words. Staley echoed the exact same sentiment after the team's last loss, which came against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7.
Brandon Staley is clearly delusional after Chargers loss to Lions
Staley's post-game comments did not stop there, though. Staley was asked if the team's last two games against the Chicago Bears and New York Jets were an illusion. The defense played great in those games but the quarterbacks they played were Tyson Bagent and Zach Wilson.
Staley pushed back at that notion, saying that "the group you saw in those two games is who our team is". Of course, the numbers do not lie as the Chargers' defense is among the worst in the sport and fans just have to look at what it does against good offenses for proof.
That prompted Daniel Popper of The Athletic to ask what makes Staley believe that this defense can show up against the best offenses in the sport. That question didn't seem to sit well with Staley and that is where he showed his true delusion.
Brandon Staley is getting feisty towards Daniel Popper again 😬 pic.twitter.com/VsiREGvwp0
— Bolt Beat (@BB_Chargers) November 13, 2023
Playing the best teams in the league close does not mean anything. The only thing that matters in the NFL is wins and losses and nobody cares if you lost to several playoff teams by three or fewer points. To use that as some kind of selling point is extremely delusional.
Plus, Staley can say this all he wants but fans are not going to buy in until his defense actually goes out and proves that it can put together a good game against a top defense. Nobody is expecting the Chargers to shut out the Lions but allowing 41 points and over 500 yards of offense? That is horrible.
Luckily for Staley's agenda, the Chargers take on the Green Bay Packers next week. Green Bay averages less than 20 points per game this season, so it will provide Staley and his defense to bounce back against yet another subpar offense and pretend that it means more than it really does.
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