The partnership between Mike McDaniel and the Los Angeles Chargers has not gone according to plan. Through the first six games of the season, the Chargers have yet to record a victory.
The offense has been particularly underwhelming, fueling calls for the team to make a change at offensive play caller. But head coach Jim Harbaugh is staying the course with Mike McDaniel. “We’re very confident in Mike and his talent, his work ethic and his ability,” Harbaugh said Wednesday, according to The Athletic. “We continue to be.”
Harbaugh said the Chargers’ bye-week self-evaluation played a role in the decision.
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“I feel like every stone, any part that we could look to better, that’s the way we responded,” Harbaugh said.
The Chargers were on a bye in Week 7 after scoring just six points in a Week 6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The performance lowered their league-worst scoring average to 15 points per game.
Every other NFL team has won at least one game, leaving the Chargers as the league’s only winless team.
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McDaniel’s four-season run as the Miami Dolphins ended in January. Harbaugh then hired McDaniel, who has widely been regarded as one of the better offensive minds in the league.
McDaniel described Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert as one of the most talented players he’s seen play the position. He said he wanted to help Herbert “own” the position.
McDaniel’s influence was evident in the offseason, when Herbert changed his shotgun stance by moving his left foot ahead of his right. Herbert also worked on his footwork and simulated throws with a green water ball instead of throwing.
Herbert’s eight interceptions is tied for the league lead.
McDaniel was the architect of the Dolphins’ 2023 offense, which scored a record 70 points and produced more than 700 yards in a win over the Denver Broncos.