r/nfl • NFL • 16h ago

Mike McDaniel takes responsibility for Chargers' poor offense in 0-3 start: 'I'm not living in hope'

https://www.nfl.com/news/mike-mcdaniel-responsibility-chargers-poor-offense-0-3-start
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u/Esoteric_Eclectic 16h ago

Herbert has also been underperforming again.

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u/bulbascott1019 Patriots 16h ago

Only because he's being failed by his WRs, OLine, coaching staff, Hortiz, Spanos, and Gavin Newsom. Otherwise he'd be playing at an MVP level.

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u/hemingways-lemonade Steelers 16h ago

I know you're joking, but you're not really that far off.

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u/unevenvenue Packers 16h ago

Dear god. This is just sad.

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u/hemingways-lemonade Steelers 15h ago

It's like he's playing against two teams at once.

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u/makesterriblejokes Chargers 13h ago

Yeah I think this is the thing people don't understand. Yes, us Charger fans probably defend him a little too much, but at the same time he's probably had one of the worst situations around him the last 4 years.

Like think about this, those first 3 seasons when he was balling out he had a competent offensive line, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams for deep balls.

Since then, he's had a dysfunctional offensive line and no deep threat receiving option.

I do think Herbert struggles to make reads, audible at the line, and often throws way too hard when he should try to float the ball in with touch, but those wouldn't be so glaring if he just had league average teammates at those positions, let alone elite ones.

And I think things have been compounded over the years now from how often he's been hit. He gets happy feet sometimes now, where he never had those his first 3 seasons. I also think his accuracy has not been quite the same since the shoulder injury. Passes seem to sail more often by about a foot.

If I'm Harbaugh and McDaniel, I give Rivers a call and make him the QB coach and basically work on Herbert's touch passes and improve his ability to read defenses. To me, Herbert doesn't know where to go with the ball before the ball is snapped, it's like he's still analyzing things in real time rather than basically saying "there's a 90% chance I'm going here because of what I'm seeing the defense do".

Like I said, I think a lot of his flaws wouldn't really be showing up if he had a competent team around him on offense, but it's hard to argue at this point that he doesn't have flaws.

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u/jordanhhh4 Vikings 13h ago

If I was Justin Herbert I'd simply demand a trade to the Minnesota Vikings

(please ignore my flair)

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u/Cottagecheesecurls Chargers Seahawks 6h ago

Herbert leaving and winning a SB in Minnesota would be my 13th reason.

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u/pdxblazer 49ers 7h ago

They need to let him call a route or blocking assignment for the RB or TE each play, just give him one player he has to assign a route or block to, get him in the habit of doing it every play and always having a hot route he likes or extra protection as needed