2 reasons why the Chargers will beat the Titans, 2 why they might lose

Reason why the Chargers might lose: A head coaching discrepancy

Brandon Staley is on thin ice with the Chargers fanbase and it was very clear entering this season that the team needs to be successful or else management may go in a different direction. That is what happens when you blow a 27-0 lead in the playoffs to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Staley has made the playoffs in his two years coaching and he has a positive regular-season record. There have been some great moments in Staley's tenure, such as the team's red-hot start in 2021 or the team's ability to rally down the stretch in 2022.

But when you are a defensive head coach and your defense is really bad it is hard to make up for things like a 27-0 blown lead. And the fact of the matter is that whenever Staley comes up against a superior head coach it is often a massive disadvantage for the Chargers.

Mike Vrabel is one of the best head coaches in the sport. Staley and the Chargers were able to get the best of Vrabel and the Titans last season but that game was played in LA and the Titans were forced to scramble at QB. This time around, the better head coach may simply win and that would be Vrabel.

Every head coach ranking is different but for simplicity's sake, let's look at Pro Football Focus' top 10 head coaches list for the 2023 season (which Vrabel isn't even on). Staley is 3-8 (playoffs included) against head coaches that are on PFF's top 10 list, losing five in a row against the cream-of-the-crop head coaches.

Sometimes talent wins outright but other times a close game will end up being decided by the two head coaches. If that happens in this one then the Chargers could be in big trouble.