BRANDON STALEY, former Chargers coach (Chargers photo).

By Joe Reedy/AP Sports Writer

COSTA MESA (AP) –– Dean Spanos was left with only one choice as he watched his Los Angeles Chargers get pummeled 63-21 by the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night.

The Bolts` owner needed to immediately clean house. And that meant head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Joe Telesco.

Not with three games remaining in another disappointing season and after two flat performances in a five-day span against division opponents, including last Sunday`s 24-10 loss to Denver.

Not after allowing the most points in a game in franchise history and the third- worst defeat by margin.

Not when the game was 42-0 at halftime and 63-7 29 seconds into the fourth quarter.

“We wasn`t ready to play and it showed out there today,” safety Derwin James said after Thursday night`s game. “It was a complete team loss.”

Linebacker Khalil Mack was even more direct, saying “this is probably one of the nastiest losses of my career.”

It was the second straight year a team has put up a horrendous performance on national television in December and got a coach fired. Nathaniel Hackett`s tenure in Denver ended after the Broncos 51-14 capitulation against the Las Angeles Rams on Christmas Day.

Even Staley acknowledged his time was short when he said “I don`t know” when asked if he would still be the coach on Friday.

While the focus will be on interim coach Giff Smith, it should also be on offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley.

Moore`s stock as a future head coach has taken a hit due to the offense`s inconsistency. He was brought in to marry the run and pass games, but the gulf between the two remains wide. The Chargers are ranked 17th in overall offense and have the fifth-worst run game.

The offense though is without quarterback Justin Herbert (broken finger) for the rest of the season. Wide receiver Keenan Allen was inactive against the Raiders due to a heel injury.

The defense has received plenty of criticism throughout the season, with Staley repeatedly saying he wasn`t going to give up play calling responsibilities. Will Ansley have a better game plan and make the proper in-game adjustments?

Besides coaches, the entire roster will be under scrutiny with a new eneral manager coming in with questions about every position __ from if Los Angeles has the right backup quarterback to building depth at other positions.

The immediate question will be though if the locker room rallies around Smith? The Raiders showed new life earlier this season when Antonio Pierce replaced Josh McDaniels but the same can`t be said in Carolina after Chris Tabor took over for Frank Reich.

Telesco, who was the general manager since 2013, is well regarded throughout the league. He is a great evaluator in skill positions, but his failures in building roster depth along with struggles in retaining non-first round picks after their rookie contracts expired proved fatal.

Staley, who had a 24-25 overall record, will probably have go the coordinator or position coach route before he gets a second chance as a head coach.

The loss in Jacksonville last season in the first round of the AFC playoffs, where the Chargers squandered a 27-point lead in the first half drew many questions about his future in the offseason. His defensive posture in interviews and showing strain in the face of a season full of adversity also increased the number of detractors.