Chargers Look to Improve Playoff Seeding vs. Rams in Brandon Staley-Sean McVay Battle of L.A. Clash

Brandon Staley and Sean McVay will coach against one another on Sunday in the Battle of L.A. matchup.

Author:
Nicholas Cothrel
Publish date:
Dec 28, 2022 5:32 PM EST

In this story:

COSTA MESA – In the Chargers second season with head coach Brandon Staley at the helm, the organization has clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2018.

As the Chargers are locked into a Wild Card spot, additional wins in the final two weeks could improve their postseason seeding. Currently, they hold the No. 6 seed in the AFC, just one game back from the Ravens in the No. 5 slot.

This week, the Chargers will face off against their inner-city rival who they share SoFi Stadium with in the Rams. Staley will coach against Sean McVay, a mentor of his who he spent the 2020 season with on the Rams' coaching staff.

The Chargers didn’t practice on Wednesday, but Staley fielded several questions at his press conference discussing his connection with McVay from his time as the Rams' defensive coordinator.

"We spent a lot of time together in a little bit less than a year," Staley said of McVay. "I think the way that we see the game, you kind of met someone that really, I think, the stars aligned that way, philosophically, how you see the game in terms of offense, defense and kicking game, how you lead, how you teach, personnel, all of that good stuff.

"It was an incredible year for the both of us. I know that we accomplished a lot together. I certainly wouldn’t be here without him. There’s a lifelong friend there. At the same time, we’re great competitors, even though we’re good friends. This game is going to be about competition. I’m excited to take the field on Sunday.”

Staley said he and McVay stay in touch via text. Most of their communication comes from the aspects of football they see one another using, leading to further discussion.

“If you see something, like after a good game, or maybe it’s a great play design or whatever — something he said that catches your eye — just showing people the respect that they earn," Staley said of his texts exchanges with McVay. "That’s what friends are for. Those are kind of the nature of those texts.”

Alongside McVay two seasons ago, Staley orchestrated the No. 1 ranked defense with the Rams before taking the head coaching position of the Chargers.

Since arriving as the lead man of the Chargers, Staley's defense has had its fair share of ups and downs. But most recently, his defensive unit has put together its best three-game stretch of the last two years, holding opponents to 12 points over that span.

Throughout the adversity the Chargers have faced this season, being one of, if not the most, injured team in the league, they sit with a 9-6 record. That's simply a testament to the coaching staff pressing the right buttons and players stepping up in areas they've been needed the most.

McVay, who's dealt with injuries taking over large portions of his roster himself, offered high praise to his former assistant for the job Staley's done in slew of all the moving pieces the Chargers have dealt with.

"You can see they’ve done a great job putting themselves in legitimate playoff contention where they’re excellent and I think they are great in crunch time moments," McVay said of Staley.

"He does a great job of trying to create a lot of conflict and try to be the aggressor," McVay said. "Dictate the terms from his vantage point defensively with the scheme that he runs and the mind that he has.”

During the Chargers' three-game win streak, Staley has expressed the connective nature the defense has played with, leading to greater results. They'll look to follow suit against a Rams offense that's undergone a transition at quarterback to Baker Mayfield, who's led the team to a 2-1 record since becoming their new signal-caller.

"You just know, going into a matchup, that he’s going to have a plan ready for you," Staley said of McVay and the Rams offense. "Week-to-week, he’s going to pour his heart and soul into that plan to give his guys a great chance to win. I think you can see it by the way that Baker has played for him since he got there, in a short amount of time. It’s a really good coaching staff over there."

The Rams, at 5-10, will attempt to play spoiler in the Battle of L.A. showdown Sunday at SoFi Stadium as the Chargers look for their 10th win of the season.

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