Mike McDaniel appears to be safe in his role with the Los Angeles Chargers for the time being.
The Chargers dropped a rough 30-23 decision to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, falling to 0-4. Los Angeles’ offense sputtered, and Justin Herbert threw two interceptions in the loss. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said he is not considering firing his offensive coordinator after just four games, calling McDaniel a capable coach and saying the staff will keep working to improve.
The game started disastrously: Herbert’s pass on the very first play was intercepted and returned to the Seahawks by linebacker Drake Thomas. Seattle’s quarterback, Sam Darnold, also threw an interception on his first play—marking the first time since 1978 that a game opened with consecutive thrown interceptions. Herbert added another pick in the second quarter and managed only five completions for 36 yards in the first half. The Chargers mounted a second-half comeback—Herbert completed nearly all his throws that half for 144 yards—but it wasn’t enough. Herbert now has six interceptions and just four touchdown passes on the season.
While the problems extend beyond McDaniel, it’s easy to imagine his job would come under scrutiny if the struggles continue. McDaniel, in his first position since parting ways with the Miami Dolphins last season, had been Miami’s head coach for four years and finished there with a 35-33 record.
The Chargers’ upcoming slate offers little relief: Denver visits next week, followed by games against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs and the 2-2 Los Angeles Rams. A loss to the Broncos would extend the franchise’s winless stretch to eight games counting back to last season.
Harbaugh remained upbeat after the defeat, saying the current game plan didn’t produce a victory and that the staff will return to the drawing board with the talented coaches and players they have, which is the basis for his optimism.
Fan take: This matters because early-season coaching stability can shape a team’s ability to recover—keeping McDaniel gives the Chargers continuity on offense during a critical stretch. If the offense doesn’t improve, though, this situation could become a warning sign about how quickly expectations and patience shift in today’s NFL.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
