After the Chargers avoided making any changes to the coaching staff at their bye week, the news we all expected to hear finally came on Wednesday. Per The Athletic’s Noah Furtado, head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters that offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will retain play-calling duties despite the unit being the league’s worst scoring offense (15.0).
The Chargers were still in the basement of offensive rankings before their
Week Six game against the Chiefs, but the six total points scored right before the bye sunk them to rock bottom in the NFL.
McDaniel has been the biggest recipient of blame so far during the Chargers’ 0-6 start to the season. And if we’re being honest, it’s been for good reason. The team’s star quarterback looks like a genuine backup, the unit’s other top players are either hurt or greatly underperforming, and it’s all happening under McDaniel’s watch.
The former Dolphins head coach was lauded as an offensive genius and expectations were beyond sky-high this offseason. Those expectations were also fairly unanimous around league circles.
But here we are, seven weeks into one of the worst seasons for the Chargers this century, and not a single change was made during the bye. Jim Harbaugh is tethering his future to McDaniel with zero reasons to justify it. But as a longtime coach who has done nothing but win until this season, he still deserves the benefit of the doubt.
But that benefit is withering away fast with each new loss.
