GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Chargers' season was on the line Sunday. That the rest of it still matters is the result of a confident decision by second-year coach Brandon Staley, who has his faults but proved that lacking guts isn't one of them.
He boldly met the biggest moment of the season, refusing to turn cautious and play for overtime when his team urgently needed a win. By calling for quarterback Justin Herbert to find tight end Gerald Everett on a late two-point conversion attempt that came off "as smooth as chocolate milk," as Staley described it after the Chargers' 25-24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, the coach kept his players' trust and kept them in contention for a playoff spot.
That's no small feat in a season complicated by endless injuries — especially on the offensive line — and too many unproductive second-half offensive drives.
