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“LIGHTNING BOLT HITS THE BOLTS”
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Chargers fans were excited two years ago when the franchise hired Jim Harbaugh as head coach, coming off his Championship season at Michigan.
They already had a budding star at QB-in Justin Herbert.
What followed for the Powder Blue and Gold were back to back 11-win seasons, but playoff disappointments each January.
Now Bolts fans should be excited with this ‘Jolt’ to the offensive playbook, the hiring of Mike McDaniel, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, now the Chargers new Offensive Coordinator, for however long he stays here.
You may argue how do you hire a just fired head coach, who failed to make the playoffs two years in a row? You may ask how how does Harbaugh’s philsophy of ‘Power ball-Tough guy’ football fit in with this ‘Throw caution to the wind’ new coordinator?
McDaniel’s nameplate will read ‘Head Coach-Offense’…he becomes ‘Mr Fix It’
Harbaugh won’t say it-I will. He and his last go to guy, Greg Roman, nearly destroyed Justin Herbert. What they ran led to 105-QB sacks, the worst protection marks in modern day NFL football, and a wrath of injuries that left the QB-hobbled.
Mc Daniel brings a rock star reputation for Xs-Os-formations-Red Zone antics, that put up monster numbers in Miami for two years, till Tua Tagovailoa got hurt, hit, hurt, hit, operated on, benched.
That coach-that QB combined for (4600Y) passing one year…(3600) the next and a ton of TDs before it ended with concussions-hip-shoulder injuries, a benching and a firing.
Mc Daniel inherits a firebrand QB, skill people, tight ends and a couple of tough guy running backs. Still to come, upgrades in the OL and the return to health of his bookend tackles (Slater-Alt).
One thing for certain, the incoming coach won the Press Conference on Tuesday. Known as the ‘Yale Nerd’ he sure had tons of quotes that equal his very thick offensive playbook. Was better than Harbaugh’s tent revival speeches-quoting Churchill-Ike-Chaucer or Tennyson.
Among those things coming out of McDaniel’s mouth:
..Fired up…Geeked up..High Spirited guy
..I am selfish-want to be a better coach
..Justin Herbert has a hunger..not near his ceiling..aspires to be great..driven
..Will adopt my skillset to his talents
..Will run a no hostage offense..will be relentless
..Motion packages make defenses overplay
..This offense is about angles..windows..quick throws
..We want a trophy today
..Harbaugh & I are one and same-except he’s a bit taller
..Miami experience ended because of injuries at QB-it is part of game
Unique language from an Ivy Leaguer.
So the Chargers fired the first off season shot across the AFC-West…as the Broncos licked their wounds with the bad news on Bo Nix…the Chiefs try to retool their offense with a new Coordinator. and offensive staff..and the Raiders still search for a head coach in wake of 2-decades of incompetence leadership.
A lightning bolt of a hire for the Bolts-a jolt to this offense and quarterback, that needed it.
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