Tis the season for holiday miracles, and Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley could use one in the worst way right now. The Chargers are 4-6 and barely alive in the AFC Playoff race (the Chargers have been given a 22% chance of making the postseason in the latest FPI Projections on ESPN). Of course, the man who has become the poster boy for the Chargers failures has been Staley, the 3rd-year head coach who has drawn the ire of countless analysts, from Bucky Brooks to Rex Ryan to Terry Bradshaw.

I mean, right here at ClutchPoints we've written dozens of stories reacting to questionable decisions that Staley has made that have, more often than not, cost the Chargers in a big way. But now I'll do something that most people won't do… I'm going to come to the defense of Brandon Staley. And I'll do so by beginning with something that isn't necessarily on the shoulders of Staley: the construction of the Los Angeles Chargers roster.

Even though this team has been touted over the last couple of years as one of the most talented in the league, I'd first ask you to identify the young blue-chippers on the roster who are in their mid-twenties. Go ahead, think on it.

“Outside of the quarterback (Justin Herbert) and the left tackle (Rashawn Slater), they don't have enough good young players right now,” is what one AFC executive shared with Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN. And this point carries a fair amount of weight. Austin Ekeler is the Chargers leading rusher, and he's 28 years old, in his 7th season, and already missed three games this season.  Keenan Allen leads the Chargers in receiving, and he's 31. Khalil Mack leads the team in sacks, and he too is on the wrong side of 30. The oft-injured Joey Bosa is 28, and even Derwin James, who seems young, is already 27.

Now is the construction of this roster the fault of Brandon Staley? I suppose we can't completely absolve him, but GM Tom Telesco's seat should be just as hot as Staley's.

And then there's this: each of Brandon Staley's first two seasons as the Chargers head coach, LA's expected win-loss was actually lower than their actual win total. This year, not the case. Does that indicate that Staley's aggressive nature on the sideline was paying off each of his first two seasons before regressing back to the mean this year?

The Chargers defense continues to be a major problem. Whether you wanna blame the personnel on Staley or not, his reputation was built on his ability to coach defense. In each of Staley's three years, the Chargers D has finished outside of the top twenty in points allowed. That's more problematic to me than any number of fourth down decisions Staley makes. The Chargers offense is often playing catch up because of the defense. Maybe Staley should relinquish defensive play-calling duties? Actually, he didn't respond too well to that suggestion.

My gut tells me Staley is probably a goner if the Chargers don't find a way to make the postseason this year, and the remaining schedule features only one team not currently in the playoff race. For now, Staley must continue to coach on a seat so hot it's practically engulfed in flames.