Charger Report

The Brandon Staley, Kyle Van Noy Bond: How the Team's Culture Has Kept the Chargers Together During a Season Full of Injuries

The Chargers culture has taken positive strides in year two under Brandon Staley.

Nicholas Cothrel

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The Chargers have reached the 10-win mark this season, a feat the franchise has met just one other time since 2010. But the road to getting there hasn't been smooth sailing the entire way for Brandon Staley's squad.

It's been a season full of adversity. Injuries have hit the Chargers to great lengths this year, making the case at the halfway point for being the most injured team in the league.

In slew of the injuries, backups and role players were forced into starting action. And despite many of the team's key players being sidelined, Staley kept his measured approach, delivering a gameplan that gave the Chargers a recipe for remaining competitive during the most difficult of times.

Kyle Van Noy, a veteran added in free agency last offseason, came to Staley's defense in a tweet sent out following the team's playoff-clinching win over the Colts in Week 16.

Van Noy, after recording his fourth sack across four games in the Chargers' 31-10 blowout victory over the Rams, further clarified why he felt it was important to offer Staley his vote of confidence.

“He’s been steady,” Van Noy said of his coach. “He’s just been a steady piece for everybody. He hasn’t switched up who he is. He’s kept a good level-head the whole year, and that’s what you want in a head coach. 

"I’m not blind to what the media is and what everybody wants. You can point out the negatives, but you also have to give credit when credit is due. I felt like he deserved credit when you lead a team that's injured as bad as we were at one point and we weren't clicking on defense like everybody wanted."

At moments throughout the season, Staley has acknowledged the criticism brought his way when things haven’t gone in the team's favor. Particularly, when he's leaned into his aggressive, risk-taking mentality.

But Staley believes what matters most isn't the outside noise. It's what kind of impression he's had on the players in the locker room.

"What your players think of you matters the most. The fact that he did say that, means a lot to me," Staley said of Van Noy's comments. "I’m more excited about what we’re able to do for him. 

"[Van Noy] coming here and us earning a playoff appearance, and people discovering how special of a player he really is. That was a big goal of mine for him, was for him to come here and be able to finish his career the right way, and be able to help me create a culture. That’s exactly what he’s done."

Having a steady culture is part of the reason why the Chargers have been able to keep it together without having the season unravel during the low points of the year. Van Noy, who's spent five of his nine NFL seasons with the New England Patriots, has a deep understanding of the value in establishing a tight-knit locker room.

"We're building a culture here. It doesn't happen overnight," Van Noy said. "I think a lot of people don't think that's how it goes. It started last year and we're just building on it."

When Van Noy was brought aboard late into the offseason, he didn’t have what many of the other newly-signed Chargers additions had, and that's previous experience playing for Staley. But what Van Noy did have to offer was the play-style Staley and the coaching staff prioritize.

Staley didn't have a relationship with Van Noy until they first spoke on the phone for the first time during free agency. Without any previous ties on a personal level, Staley still felt like he knew what the versatile veteran could bring to the defense from his eye for scouting the game film.

When Staley served as the defensive coordinator at John Carroll University before making the move to the NFL, he used Van Noy's film from games as teach-tape for his inside and outside linebackers.

"It’s actually a really pure connection, which is the game film," Staley said of his understanding of Van Noy's skill set. "I’ve watched him. I’ve always respected how New England defends. ... I felt like I knew a lot about him before I even met him. The good news is that he has been better than advertised.”

Van Noy's last four games have been his best stretch of football since coming to Los Angeles. When Joey Bosa went down with a torn groin on Sept. 25, Van Noy has been the guy called upon to take on the bulk of the snaps off the edge.

Initially signed to play a hybrid role as an off-the-ball linebacker with opportunities to also rush the passer, Van Noy's role endured a change early on. Staley pinpointed a moment four weeks ago against the Dolphins in which he felt things have clicked for Van Noy coming off the edge, leading to an uptick in productivity.

“The counter-spin on [Dolphins left tackle Terron] Armstead against Miami was a pretty special rush," Staley said of Van Noy's marquee moment. "I think that you saw a confident player. That stood out to me because we were in a three-man rush on that play. 

"Obviously, Terron is one of the top players in the league at tackle, so a lot of respect for him. For Kyle to beat him, that’s a good win."

Since Dec. 11, the Chargers' game against the Dolphins, one of Van Noy's former teams, he's produced four sacks, 12 quarterback pressures and nine run stops. The Chargers are 4-0 since then and Van Noy has been a big reason for the defensive turnaround late in the season as they approach the playoffs hitting their stride.

Now holding a 10-6 record, the Chargers can secure the No. 5 seed in the AFC by defeating the Broncos in the regular season finale.

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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Charger Report. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickCothrel for more Chargers coverage.

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Nicholas Cothrel
NICHOLAS COTHREL

Nick Cothrel is the publisher for Charger Report, covering the Los Angeles Chargers for Sports Illustrated.  You can follow Nick on Twitter @NickCothrel.

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