The Los Angeles Chargers had high expectations coming into the 2026 season after adding offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. even though McDaniel flamed out during his time as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, he was still viewed as one of the best offensive minds in the sport and fans were very excited to see him paired with Justin Herbert.

So far, that partnership has not gone according to plan. The Chargers have had arguably the worst offense in football this season and are 0-6 coming out of their Week 7 bye. The defense has been underwhelming and the offense has been flat out dreadful.

Injuries are to blame for some of that, but McDaniel and Herbert are both putting out some of the worst results of their respective careers. On Wednesday, Herbert shielded his new OC from the criticism he is getting showered with and claimed that the entire offense shares the blame for this season so far, via Ari Meirov.

“It’s not his fault. It’s our fault as an offense,” Herbert said. “We have to do our job. It's not Mike's fault. The guys are open. Plays are being made. It’s on us to run, to block, to catch, to throw. It’s on us as an offense.”

The numbers for the Chargers are pretty ugly on the offensive side, no matter how you look at it. LA's 287.2 yards per game ranks 28th in the NFL. Its -0.26 EPA per play ranks dead last by a wide margin, and its 15.0 points per game is also the worst in the NFL.

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When you narrow it down even more, it gets worse. The Chargers' -0.30 EPA per pass play? Worst in the league. A -0.22 EPA per rush is 30th. Herbert has been sacked 21 times, tied for the third-most in the league despite already having a bye. He has been pressured on 42.1% of his dropbacks, the fifth-most in the league per Next Gen Stats.

The Chargers have to turn things around, and fast, for McDaniel to keep his job. They will be back at it in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams.