Every game since Week 2 has been a must-win for the Los Angeles Chargers. The Week 4 game against the Seattle Seahawks is no different.
Instead of playing the blame game or keeping his lips shut, OC Mike McDaniel actually owned up to the offensive struggles, which have been the primary reason the Chargers have entirely fallen apart this season.
“Responsibility, yeah, I’m fully responsible,” McDaniel told media in his answer as to whether he feels accountable for the Chargers’ 0-3 record, quarterback Justin Herbert’s struggles, and the offense’s general inability to meet preseason hopes or expectations, whether internal or external.
“We were the reason we lost the football game,” he added. “And you gotta pull your weight in this league. There are things we’ve done in the past three games that are active participation in losing the game, and so flat-out, our jobs are going to prove everything, and I’m not living in hope, I’m living in reality.”
Justin Herbert Not Working Under Mike McDaniel
The biggest move of the offseason from McDaniel, changing Justin Herbert’s stance from tradition to a newer shotgun stance, backfired the worst way imaginable for the Chargers. Herbert has hardly ever looked this incoherent and lost in his career.
The weight of the losses is taking a toll on him.
Herbert is second in the NFL in interceptions, and his QBR (27.4) is the second-worst in the NFL, higher than only Giants quarterback Jameis Winston as of now. The Chargers rank 29th in points per game (14.7) and are tied for fifth in turnovers (6).
All that, and they face the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, who come in seething after giving up 33 points in a road loss to the Commanders last week.
“It’s going to be loud,” McDaniel said. “They’re going to be a salty team that has lost their first game in like 12 games. And you know what, that’s just what we need: an opponent that definitely is not going to feel sorry for us.”
The offensive struggles were at their worst in their Week 3 game against the Buffalo Bills, as even after the defense forced five turnovers, the offense couldn’t do much out of it. Not even get them close to winning the game, let alone actually winning.
McDaniel Defends Herbert, But Won’t be Able to After Another Loss
Still, McDaniel defended Herbert, saying he has a better understanding of him than he did in Week 1.
“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,” he said. And yet McDaniel said Herbert’s play has to improve, just like everyone else’s on the team, and he said so does his coaching.
“There are things we’ve done in the past three games that are active participation in losing the game,” he added. “And so flat-out our jobs are going to prove everything, and I’m not living in hope, I’m living in reality.”
The Chargers head into Seattle just trying to stop the rot. Fall to 0-4 here, and this isn’t just a tough month—it’s proof McDaniel’s system flat-out isn’t working, and the heat on his job is going to get uncomfortable real fast.
Chargers OC Mike McDaniel Eats the Blame as Season Hangs in Balance vs. Seahawks