Brandon Staley responds to criticism of controversial Week 18 decision

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September 25, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley watches the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee – USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley is trying to fend off criticism over his handling of the team’s Week 18 game.

Staley decided to play his starters for most of the game against the Denver Broncos, even though the Chargers had already clinched a playoff spot and had nothing to play for. The Chargers would have needed a win to clinch the No. 5 seed in the AFC had the Baltimore Ravens beaten the Cincinnati Bengals early in the window, but it was clear before the late kickoff of the Chargers that the Bengals were on their way to a win. Despite this, Staley stuck to his guns and played his incumbents in what had become a meaningless game.

The decision came under further scrutiny after wide receiver Mike Williams suffered a back injury that will keep him out of the Chargers’ game against Jacksonville. Critics pointed out that Williams, the team’s top receiver, would have been fine for Saturday had Staley rested his starters.

Staley responded to those criticisms on Thursday, saying he stood by the decision to play his starters the whole game because of a desire to set a standard.

“I support what we did in that football game,” Staley said, via Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times. “All my players are really important to me. There were a lot of players playing in this game who were in danger. It’s just the nature of football.

“It’s very difficult to decide who plays and who doesn’t and who is more valuable than others. What you’re trying to do is set a standard for your program on how you do the things. That’s what I believe in. I didn’t want anyone getting injured in this game, regardless of their status, because everyone is important.

Staley obviously didn’t want injuries, but there’s certainly room for criticism of his approach. The decision not to back down and avoid playing his starters at least in the second half was puzzling.

On the other hand, at least one other NFL coach would probably argue that Staley was doing the right thing. Injuries can happen in all kinds of football environments, and you could say the Chargers were unlucky in this case.

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