The Chargers’ 0-4 start has put Mike McDaniel right where he expected to be: under fire.
Jim Harbaugh said this week that the offensive coordinator’s job is not in jeopardy, but McDaniel understands that won’t stop the noise. With the Chargers entering the season carrying big expectations for what McDaniel and Justin Herbert could do together, the production has simply not matched the hype. Los Angeles is averaging 16.8 points per game, and Herbert is only ahead of Jameis Winston in passer rating among qualified quarterbacks.
On Thursday, McDaniel brushed off the outside calls for him to be fired and made clear he’s not spending much time on the reaction. He said those complaints come “with the territory of the job” and pointed back to the scoreboard as the only thing that really matters.
“When you have high expectations and you’re getting the results we’re getting and you’re 0-4, that’s pretty standard operating procedure,” McDaniel said, via Kris Rhim of ESPN.com. “I would be foolish, or I would feel entitled, if I didn’t expect there to be disappointment.
And so, if you want things to change and you want narratives to change, you have to change them through action collectively. If our results are better, that’s the only thing that matters.
So it’s pretty easy for me to focus on what I need to focus on.”
McDaniel also pointed to Herbert’s play late in last Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks, saying he thought the quarterback played “the best, most competitive football that I’ve been around him for” in that stretch. But the Chargers had already dug themselves a deep hole by then, with two interceptions and five punts in the first half as Seattle built a lead of as many as 21 points.
That’s the reality McDaniel is dealing with now: a few encouraging flashes aren’t going to quiet the criticism. If the calls for change are going to fade, the Chargers are going to need more than late-game cleanup work.
In Other News...
Chargers Fans Still Have One Reason To Believe After An 0-4 Start
An 0-4 start can feel like the season is already slipping away, but history offers at least one reminder that the door is not fully closed. Around the NFL, teams that dig that deep a hole usually stay there, yet one Chargers group found a way to claw back into relevance and turn a miserable opening month into something far more meaningful.
That team came together under a first-year head coach and got a major jolt when the quarterback situation shifted before the regular season even began. The early stumble gave way to a steady run of wins, a playoff berth and even a postseason victory, which is exactly the kind of route this current Chargers team would love to study while trying to stop the early-season damage from becoming permanent. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Injury Pileup Is Raising Bigger Questions About Jim Harbaugh
The injury list around the Chargers has become a weekly burden, with roughly 20 players showing up on reports and nine already on injured reserve heading into Week 5. For a team that opened 0-4, the sheer volume of absences has made it hard to separate bad health luck from a bigger organizational problem, especially as the Broncos come to town and the roster keeps thinning out in key spots.
Jim Harbaugh was brought in to steady things, but the early-season spiral has only intensified the scrutiny around how the staff is navigating it. The latest wave of roster attrition has only added to the pressure, and with Los Angeles still searching for its first win, the conversation is starting to move beyond this weeks matchup and toward what all of it could mean for the coaching staff if the slide continues. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Face A Khalil Mack Decision Before The Deadline
Khalil Macks early-season production has put an unexpected wrinkle into the Chargers build-up to the trade deadline. The veteran edge rusher, now 35, has three sacks in four games and remains one of the more recognizable names on a team trying to sort out its place in the AFC picture, which is why his situation has started to draw attention beyond Los Angeles.
Several league sources and analysts have suggested that a move involving Mack could make sense for both sides, especially given his past mixed feelings about leaving Chicago. The Chargers, though, have not shown any indication they want to move him, and with the deadline set for Nov. 10, the question is whether this becomes a real decision point or just another piece of outside chatter around a player who still matters to what Los Angeles is trying to do. [Read more 🡒]