Chargers News: 4th Quarter Of Ravens Loss A Microcosm Of Season, Argues Brandon Staley

Same ole', same ole' for the Bolts

For the past handful of seasons, many fans, experts, and pundits believed this would be the year that your Los Angeles Chargers get over the hump and play to their capabilities. Those people were wrong for all those years, but something about 2023 would be different. 

LA killed it in the draft, their free-agent pickups were solid, and more importantly, the Bolts were bringing in a new offensive coordinator to help elevate Justin Herbert's play in Kellen Moore. 2023  was supposed to be the year they get over the top, especially with how their 2022 season ended. 

Instead, it's the same old Chargers. They've stepped on their own toes time after time again, and the fourth quarter in their loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12 was no different. Bolts head coach Brandon Staley said that quarter was a microcosm of their season. 

“We were right there in the fourth quarter with a chance to win, despite three turnovers. And so that’s what our season has been. It’s been tight and we haven’t been able to finish some of these games, and that’s what we need to keep working at,” Staley said.

(per Helene Elliott of The Los Angeles Times)

Even though all the turnovers and their inability to score seven points in the other three quarters, they were still in the game. At the end of it, LA had a chance to take the lead and possibly win the game; however, like aways, they were close but no cigar. 

That's not just the microcosm of the season; that's the microcosm of the Chargers in the past handful of seasons. There's no denying their talent; on paper, they may have the most talented team in the league from top to bottom. 

But there's no denying that something isn't working. The head coach is the obvious one, but will that fix all their problems just like that? Maybe not. This team can't seem to stop getting in their own way, and some serious self-reflection is needed to get to the bottom of it. 

Things look bleak for the Bolts as we hit December football, and with their inability to close out games, their chances of a playoff spot look dim. 

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