By Anthony Licciardi
It is never a good sign when the head coach’s side of the football fails its biggest test. Brandon Staley earned his spot as top dog for the Los Angeles Chargers after showcasing unique coverage calls and lighter boxes to dictate offensive play calls and limit big plays.By the end of 2021, it was clear the defense had failed the Chargers.
Like a dead flashlight in a power outage, the Los Angeles defense proved fruitless when it mattered most. Perhaps most obnoxiously was the team’s run defense in Week 18, where the Las Vegas Raiders were going to run the ball, and everybody knew it. It simply didn’t matter.
Subsequently, Staley and friends completely overhauled the defense. J.C. Jackson and Bryce Callahan were added to eliminate weaknesses in the secondary, formulating one of the best cornerback trios in the sport. They acquired former All-Pro Khalil Mack and versatile linebacker Kyle Van Noy, too. With fearsome units to rush the passer and defend the pass, Los Angeles is set to see improvement on this side of the ball.
Most importantly, however, was the acquisition of Sebastian Joseph-Day. He’ll be the linchpin to a Chargers run defense that was gashed so frequently in 2021. Without productive thumpers at inside linebacker, Joseph-Day’s performance at nose tackle could be the lone reason the Chargers survive powerful rushing attacks.
Joseph-Day is the nose tackle Los Angeles needs.
Part of Staley’s strategy was to invite the run. Passing the ball is generally more efficient than running into a pile of massive men and leads to big plays more often. But if you can’t stop the run at the end of games, it doesn’t matter who’s playing quarterback.
Joseph-Day is a run stuffer, through and through. Proven in the form of a three-year, $24 million deal, he’ll be expected to bring more than his six career sacks to the table.
Thankfully, he’s the right man for the job and an ideal scheme fit. He has the requisite size and strength to take on interior offensive lineman and is simply skillful when it comes to disrupting linemen when the ball is handed off.
With Los Angeles at -160 to make the playoffs (per DraftKings), Joseph-Day’s role becomes all the more important. The Chargers are cool and all, but making $62.50 on a $100 bet takes precedence.
They’re expected to play in a lot of meaningful games, which often turns into heavyweight fights in the trenches. The Chargers’ defensive X-Factor, Joseph-Day will play a pivotal role in deciding what kind of defense Los Angeles will have. It’s on him to keep the lights on come January.