Chargers News: LA Players Still Grappling With Loss Of Brandon Staley

The rest of us? Not so much.

Your 5-9 Los Angeles Chargers are gearing up for their first game sans three-year head coach Brandon Staley, who was kicked to the curb by owner Dean Spanos following a historically bad 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders last Thursday. He's been replaced, for now, by awesomely-named interim head coach Giff Smith.

Staley, who had been hired following a stellar one-and-done season as the defensive coordinator for the Super Bowl championship-winning Los Angeles Rams, departed with a competent-looking 24-24 record overall through most of three seasons. His defenses with LA never ranked above above 20 in points or yards allowed in that time span.

Per Jeff Miller of The Los Angeles Times, a few Bolts players are still reeling from the loss of Staley.

“It definitely was sad because when you’re going through something with somebody for three years, it’s tough,” safety Derwin James Jr. said. “You always think about the good times you had.”

Reserve quarterback Easton Stick, the man under center who made his first-ever start as a pro in that Raiders defeat, also opted to shoulder the blame for the defeat and later firing of Staley, as well as team general manager Tom Telesco.

“You put everything into this,” quarterback Easton Stick said. “So, when it doesn’t go well, I certainly feel responsible. I know that all of our guys do. It means that everybody failed, and that part sucks because those guys mean a lot to us.”

Staley will probably land on his feet, albeit not as a head coach right away. But the Chargers are probably in free fall, with Stick set to start in the stead of Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert the rest of the way, and now Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen slated to miss this Saturday's matchup against the Buffalo Bills.