The Los Angeles Chargers are a bad team. Worse, they are a bad team that was expected to be good. Just last season, the Chargers went 11-6 in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s second season with the team. They would end up losing 16-3 to the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round, but with back-to-back 11-6 seasons and playoff appearances, it seemed like things were headed in the right direction.
After the Wild Card loss, the team fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman and brought in Mike McDaniel, who had recently been fired as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach. The league had seen what McDaniel accomplished with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during their time together in Miami. McDaniel had brought him from a fringe starter to an MVP candidate.
Pairing him with Herbert, who had already proven he could play at an MVP level, seemed like a fantasy come true. Sometimes it’s better to leave things to the imagination, as Los Angeles is finding out this season. McDaniel’s Achilles heel has been his complicated offense and its reliance on timing.
That worked out well for Tagovailoa, a quarterback who thrives on structure and is highly regarded for his accuracy and timing. It hasn’t worked out as well for Herbert. Over six games, the Chargers rank 30th in points per game (15) and 30th in passing yards per game (164.6).
Yesterday, Herbert went 22 for 37 for 204 yards and 1 interception. The offensive highlight of the day came on wide receiver Quentin Johnston’s lone reception for 57 yards, which put the Chargers inside the 5, but the offense settled for a field goal.
It was painful to watch: anytime the offense gained a bit of momentum, Herbert had to get rid of the ball early or take a sack. I’m genuinely unsure if he’ll make it through the rest of the season. He’s currently the second-most-sacked quarterback this season, with 21, behind Deshaun Watson’s 24.
As the season progresses, you want to see an offense develop as players gain experience in the system, but the opposite seems to be happening. This season, Herbert has a 59.4% completion percentage, 1,141 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He’s been dreadful, but it would be stranger for him to suddenly play well than for him not to, given the new system.
Something has to change in Los Angeles; you can’t go 0-6 in a season when you were expected to compete for a playoff spot and have everything stay the same. My guess is that McDaniel will be shown the door sooner rather than later. Fortunately for the Chargers, they have a bye week before facing the Rams; maybe they can figure things out during their week off, though I doubt it.
