3. Brandon Staley
Charger fans know that Brandon Staley is the real deal and Monday Night Football could very well be his welcoming party to the rest of the NFL. There has definitely been some buzz around Staley in the media but a strong coaching performance in this one will really hammer it home in the NFL world.
It is rare to be this confident in a coach this early on but everything Staley has said and implemented has been positive. Record aside, Staley has been committed to changing the culture of the franchise, which was desperately needed after many years of mediocrity.
Staley's decision to go for it on fourth and nine in Arrowhead in Chiefs' territory last week was ultimately the reason why the Bolts won the game. It was as bold of a decision as a coach could make and the message was clear: I trust in Justin Herbert and my guys on offense.
This decision did not get as much publicity as it probably should have. It definitely was talked about, but you would think that more people would point out the great coaching job that Staley did. Instead, the story was more about how the Chiefs were 1-2 and in last place in the AFC West.
There is no distractions in this game. Staley is going to be under the spotlight and is coaching against a big-name foe in Jon Gruden, who is pretty overrated but is still very well-known and respected. Out-coahcing Gruden, especially in a potential multi-score win, will be great for Staley's stock as a head coach.
Brandon Staley definitely does not care if the rest of the league knows he is a good head coach or not so we know this does not matter to him. The fact of the matter is, though, that this is a big game for Staley and the first time he will be heavily scrutinized on primetime.
Chances are he knocks it out of the park and the talking point on Tuesday morning is about Staley being the next great young NFL head coach.