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Chiefs Kingdom rooting guide to NFL’s Wild Card Weekend

By Charles Robinson

Dec 4, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) stands on the field during the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) stands on the field during the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 26: Head coach Brandon Staley of the Los Angeles Chargers is seen after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 26, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 26: Head coach Brandon Staley of the Los Angeles Chargers is seen after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 26, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Brandon Staley to do Brandon Staley things

Listen, the debate on whether or not to sit players when your playoff seeding is clinched will always be a debate. Do you let guys rest up and get their legs back under them before your first playoff game, or do you keep them fully engaged and in the groove so they don’t miss a beat once the playoffs roll around? For most responsible coaches who manage their teams well during the regular season and do other things sensibly like not going for every single 4th down or actually using their timeouts, playing your starters usually isn’t an issue.

For Brandon Staley, all bets are off.

The Chargers had the AFC’s 5 seed locked up last Sunday before they kicked off against Russell Wilson and the Broncos. Staley’s decision? Let’s play everyone. Let’s even leave them in until the fourth quarter in a game that means nothing! The Chargers had Keenan Allen on the field until the last drive of the game because they only had 3 healthy wideouts. Why? Because Mike Williams left the game with an injury late in the second quarter. Corey Linsley, who missed 3 games this season due to a couple of different injuries, was in until the end of the third quarter as was Trey Pipkins who has a sprained MCL right now.

Five Chargers defensive starters, including Khalil Mack, played snaps in the fourth quarter. Joey Bosa did not, but that’s because he was pulled in the second quarter after aggravating the surgically repaired groin that had him out from Weeks 4-16. The more I go on, the more egregious this sounds, but that is the Brandon Staley way.

Are the Chargers a hot pick right now? Oh yeah, and their fan base seems confident in their prospects of coming to Arrowhead and finding a way to knock the Chiefs out of the playoffs. But if Staley continues to operate more like Wile E. Coyote than a wily veteran as the head coach of the team, you can expect an early playoff exit from LA. One of the only things sweeter than a Chiefs playoff victory is seeing an AFC West foe get knocked out of the playoffs.

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