Brandon Staley on Sunday night may have cost the Los Angeles Chargers a trip to the playoffs with one of the most baffling coaching decisions of the season, and he has faced a great deal of criticism. Rex Ryan was more than happy to pile on.
Staley for some reason called a timeout in overtime when the Las Vegas Raiders were facing 3rd-and-4 with the clock winding down. There were 38 seconds left with the ball at the Chargers 39. A tie would have sent both teams to the playoffs, and the Raiders seemed content to let it happen. Instead, the timeout gave Las Vegas time to talk things over. They then came out and ripped off a 10-yard run, which led to a game-winning field goal.
On ESPN’s “Get Up!” Monday, Ryan absolutely unloaded on Staley.
Rex Ryan went OFF on Chargers head coach Brandon Staley after the team's loss to the Raiders 😳
"We're being robbed as NFL fans that we don't get to see Justin Herbert in the playoffs. … It's hard not to make the playoffs with a franchise QB, but congratulations, you did it." pic.twitter.com/9IQDClo5n3
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 10, 2022
“This guy coaches like he’s a Division-III coach that nobody cares about. It’s hard not to make the playoffs with a franchise quarterback, but congratulations, you did it,” Ryan said. “How he faces his football team after this one is incredible to me.
“The Raiders were content. They were gonna take the tie. They were absolutely gonna take the tie. But homeboy’s sitting there (and takes a) timeout. What? You’ve got a way better football team than you got beat by, and you lost. … You were born on third base thinking you hit a triple — that’s this cat right here.”
Ryan praised Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ roster and said Staley has done nothing but hold them back. He questioned what makes Staley qualified to be a head coach in the NFL.
“What makes him brilliant? He was a defensive coach that has a horrendous defense that can’t stop the run when you know they’re gonna run. Does that make you brilliant?” Ryan asked. “No, it makes you a coach that’s supposed to be a defensive guru, but you never really earned your stripes.”
As usual, people will point out that Ryan’s tenure as a head coach in the NFL was hardly successful. He went 61-66 with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, though he did have a 4-2 record in the postseason.
Ryan is a TV analyst now, so his job is to deliver hot takes. In this case, the harsh commentary is warranted. Those who don’t think Staley blew the game for the Chargers might want to see what Raiders coach Ruch Bisaccia said after his team’s win.
