Chargers' Brandon Staley - Grew 'closer' with Keenan Allen after critical tweet

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley on Monday expressed no second thoughts regarding his late-game, fourth-down decision a day earlier that nearly proved costly in a 30-28 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Staley also said that he has since met with team captain and wide receiver Keenan Allen, who was at home nursing a hamstring injury, when he wrote in a since-deleted tweet, «WTF are we doing» moments after Staley's decision.

Clinging to a two-point lead at FirstEnergy Stadium with 1:14 to play, Staley elected to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Bolts' 46-yard line. Quarterback Justin Herbert's pass to wide receiver Mike Williams fell incomplete. With 1:10 remaining, the Browns took over and advanced the ball 10 yards before kicker Cade York missed a potential game-winning 54-yard field goal.

«Since I've become the head coach we've grown extremely close,» Staley said of Allen. «We met this morning. Anyone that's been a part of competition knows that when you're not a part of it, you can feel some type of way. Keenan's heart is with me, with us. I'm understanding of where he was in that moment because he's not with his team or in the fire, that's a money down that he's used to being out there… We're going to become closer because of it. We already became closer this morning.»

Allen, a 10th-year pro and the Bolts' receptions leader since 2017, has been sidelined since Week 2 and remains «day-to-day,» according to Staley, in his return from a hamstring injury suffered in the season opener.

The Chargers (3-2) will play the Denver Broncos (2-3) at SoFi Stadium on Monday Night Football.

Despite scrutiny from Allen and pundits, ESPN's win probability model agreed with Staley's decision to go for it on