Yesterday's defensive debacle was the tipping point for me.

I have been a Staley skeptic for quite some time now, but I was clinging to my last bit of hope that he and the team would turn things around this season.

I still hope that, and maybe there is a chance that can happen behind the offense, but I think the team should fire Staley today.

I posted this in another thread today:

Staley said this in his press conference:

"We gotta go back to practice and we gotta get back to work and focus on the fundamentals."

I guess there isn't much he can really say after such a horrific performance, but I don't see any reason to expect real improvement the rest of this season. "Focusing on the fundamentals" certainly isn't going to get it done at this point.

The defense may be fine against weak offenses with poor OL play and backup QBs, as happened the previous two games. But at this point, there is no reason to believe they are going to be able to play well against good offenses.

Other than this forum, there is one other forum I post a lot in, and I was posting a lot there during the game (their game threads are not toxic like the ones here). Someone who doesn't follow the Chargers posted this question there:

"How do you have Bosa, Mack and James and your defense is this bad?"

I think the answer is pretty obvious at this point.

The problem for Staley is, I don't see any reason for anyone to believe the defense will improve under his scheme and coaching. The sample size is large enough now that it should be fairly evident.

And the fact that the defense is Staley's seems to mean that fixing the defense requires a head coaching change, barring a miracle turnaround over the next 8 games.

IMO a competent ownership and front office organization probably would have fired Staley after last season's playoff meltdown. Even if not, this is it. This is the time.

Fire Staley and promote Ficken to head coach. Give Ansley total control of the defense and see if he can actually improve the performance. Leave Moore alone and let him do what he is already doing.

Best case, you have a turnaround and make the playoffs. Another good result would be to be able to evaluate Ficken, Moore, and Ansley without Staley's presence to see if any of them are HC worthy or worthy of possibly staying on if the new HC wants them. Meanwhile, you show the players and the rest of the organization (and the rest of the league, from which you may need to pull coaches) that you demand excellence, not mediocrity.

Worst case, the team continues its death spiral into a high draft position in 2024, and the team cleans house on the rest of the coaching staff in the offseason.

I don't really see a downside.

I don't think Spanos will do it, but he should.

/rant