EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel says the team's performance in Sunday's 26-14, season-opening loss to the Arizona Cardinals was "shocking."
"You have a lot of visions coming to a new team and working on something for months," McDaniel said Thursday, "and the vision never looked like that."
Quarterback Justin Herbert had 209 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, leading an offense that looked disjointed and uncomfortable throughout the game.
Despite that, McDaniel said he isn't concerned.
"I think I would be in a way different mood than every other press conference that you've seen me, if that was any indication of the way the ball has been," he said. "So yeah, it was kind of shocking in its own right."
McDaniel acknowledged in the preseason that his offense has historically come with a transition phase in Year 1 before a jump in Year 2. Tua Tagovailoa, the former Miami Dolphins quarterback, made his only Pro Bowl in Year 2 under McDaniel. Matt Ryan, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, won his only MVP in his second year under then-offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, when McDaniel was an offensive assistant.
But McDaniel said Herbert was already "far past where quarterbacks are usually in Year 1."
The lone bright spot on offense Sunday was wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who finished with five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. McConkey left the game in the third quarter with a rib injury, didn't practice Wednesday and was working with a trainer to start Thursday's practice.
Perhaps the most embarrassing stretch of the loss to the Cardinals came on the Chargers' second-to-last drive, when they had three penalties on three straight plays: false starts by wide receiver Quentin Johnston and center Jake Slaughter and then a hold by Slaughter. The penalties set up second-and-30 and were what McDaniel called "the most unacceptable part of the game."
On the final drive, Herbert was sacked by Cardinals safety Budda Baker and linebacker Jack Gibbens, who came through the line of scrimmage unblocked while three interior linemen blocked defensive tackle Walter Nolen III. McDaniel and coach Jim Harbaugh said this week that Herbert calls the offensive line protections and this setup was by design. McDaniel also noted that the potential for an explosive play was disrupted when wide receiver Tre' Harris broke inside instead of outside.
"He's more of a master at changing protections than the quarterbacks that I've been around," McDaniel said, "because he's been asked to do that extensively more throughout his career."
McDaniel and the offense will look to bounce back Sunday when the Chargers host the Las Vegas Raiders.
"It worked out totally the opposite way that we saw. And what are you going to do about it?" McDaniel said. "That's what I love about football. That's what I love about this week, because you can't hide. You got to go and face the music."