Mike McDaniel was supposed to be the one who would finally unlock Justin Herbert‘s full potential.
Instead, the beleaguered Chargers offensive coordinator found himself having to answer for the team’s shortcomings Thursday in the wake of an 0-3 start that has jeopardized the team’s playoff hopes.
“I understand as the offensive coordinator and playcaller, that when things don’t work, I should take the blame,” McDaniel told reporters. “But, shoot, like, bottom line is we need to be better and no one cares how.
“Plenty of the time things are being done, individually, that are good enough to win. But then there’s way too often when it’s not 100% unilateral. Everyone has a part in it. No one is safe from the blame, but no one’s exclusive to blame, either, besides the guy putting together the offense and calling the plays. And that will forever be the case. I don’t shy away from that.”
Heading into Sunday’s showdown on the road with the defending Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks, the Chargers rank 29th in the league in scoring (14.7 points per game) and 20th in total offense (308.7 yards per game). Herbert ranks 17th among quarterbacks in passing yards (627) and has the second-worst QB rating (27.4).
After being unable to capitalize on a plus-four turnover margin in a 24-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, McDaniel knows he has to find ways to fix the Chargers’ offense — and fast.
“You want to be the reason to win, “ McDaniel said. “Well, we were the reason we lost a football game. You got to pull your weight in this league. From a coaching perspective, there are plenty of things that I know we can do better.”
Despite the team’s struggles, McDaniel remains confident the Chargers can bounce back and remain in the playoff hunt, despite only seven teams in NFL history making the playoffs after an 0-3 start. At the same time, he knows the Chargers can’t just preach it — they need to prove it on the field.
“Yes, there’s been improvement. But does anyone care? No,” said McDaniel, referring to losses overshadowing improvements he’s seen since Week 1. “I’m not trying to have moral victories or anything like that. … There’s things we’ve done in the past three games that are active participation in losing the game. … I’m not living in hope. I’m living in reality.”
Part of that hope stems from his continued confidence in Herbert. Despite the quarterback’s struggles — and coach Jim Harbaugh criticizing Herbert’s decision-making — McDaniel says he feels he has a better grasp on what is needed to help Herbert thrive.
“Nothing has changed with Justin Herbert,” McDaniel said. “I think at this point I have a much better understanding of things that lead to him making good plays.”
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