All teams are positive in early May, still at the beginning of seasons when optimism reigns supreme.
The need for an offensive refresh with McDaniel came from a very different place, stemming from two consecutive postseason appearances under former OC Greg Roman, wild-card expansions where Herbert and Co. get a total of 15 points.
Regardless, McDaniel has come in and managed to dispel any ominous clouds before, like when he took over a Dolphins team in 2022 that had made the playoffs twice in two decades and promptly returned two straight postseason runs. As part of his turnaround in Miami (before things went south the last two seasons), McDaniel took the elusive Tua Tagovailoa and helped him to a top-10 MVP vote in their first season together and a Pro Bowl with a league-high 4,624 passing yards in their second season.
His starting point with Herbert, selected one behind Tagovailoa in the 2020 draft, is considerably higher.
Although he has yet to win a playoff game in three attempts, Herbert is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the league, a confident forward who stands tough in the pocket. The goal isn’t too much to prove he belongs, as it was to some extent with Tagovailoa, but to take his game to another level to push the Chargers over the hump.
“We’re looking to master and be elite in everything we do and to be able to own the position in a new way,” McDaniel said. “To be able to own the position in a way that he never has and in the end, that it is obvious to everyone around him that he is playing the best football of his career.”
Part of that process involves Herbert speeding up his timer. McDaniel mentioned challenging Herbert to work on his footwork and develop a faster rhythm, telling reporters the QB is unique among the elite at his position in his willingness to try new things.
Much of the heat Herbert faced last season came behind a sloppy offensive line, which was down both Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, but continuing to master a faster tempo could still do wonders even with the O-line back to full strength. Herbert averaged 2.90 seconds to throw last season, 11th among passers with at least 200 attempts, third in QB pressure percentage (43.3), third in sacks (54) and first in pressures (268).
There’s no reason to remove the improvisational element of his game, which he excels at, but the Chargers will only go as far as Herbert takes them. It is important that he takes fewer shots that play within the system.
That’s one of the goals McDaniel has laid out in the offseason program — that and the overarching goal of making Herbert’s 7th year in the NFL his best yet.