Los Angeles Chargers coordinator Mike McDaniel isn't shying away from responsibility for the club's lack of offensive productivity in its 0-3 start.
"I'm fully responsible," he said Thursday, via ESPN. "I spend zero time trying to avoid blame. It's quite the opposite."
The Chargers rank 30th in expected points added per play (-0.21), have scored 14.7 points per game (29th in the NFL), and sit 27th in turnovers with six. Their 44 points through three games are the fewest by the franchise since 2003 (37, finished 4-12), per NFL Research. L.A. has suffered three straight losses with fewer than 45 total points scored for the first time with Justin Herbert as starting quarterback.
In Week 3, the Chargers offense keyed the defeat. L.A. became the first team to lose with fewer than 25 points allowed and a +4 turnover differential or better since 2012 (Cardinals lost to Falcons, 23-19, in Week 11). The Buffalo defeat was the first Chargers loss with at least five takeaways and fewer than 25 points allowed since Week 4, 1986.
"We were the reason we lost the football game," McDaniel said, "and you gotta pull your weight in this league."
The offense has looked as bad as the numbers suggest. Nothing is fluid. Herbert looks uncomfortable, earning a career-low 73.4 passer rating (30th in the NFL, ahead of only Drake Maye and Jameis Winston among 32 qualified QBs). The interior of the offensive line gets blasted routinely. The running game is ineffective. Penalties are a problem.
"There are things we've done in the past three games that are active participation in losing the game," he said, "and so flat-out, our jobs are going to prove everything, and I'm not living in hope, I'm living in reality."
Desperately needing a victory, the Chargers face the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, who come in seething after giving up 33 points in a road loss to Washington last week.
"It's going to be loud," McDaniel said. "They're going to be a salty team that has lost their first game in like 12 games. And you know what, that's just what we need: an opponent that definitely is not going to feel sorry for us."
