McDaniel told reporters he wants a wider view of adjustments and cleaner communication with position coaches between series. "One of the things I want to try is call plays from the box to kind of see adjustments for myself and communicate with position coaches appropriately what things we can focus on between series," he said, per NFL.com. He added that the move "seems like a good action to take based on how things have gone this year," and that he is comfortable trying it because he trusts the rest of the offensive staff to handle sideline communication.
The backdrop is blunt. NFL.com reported the Chargers have not scored on 27 drives, a nine-quarter drought. NBC Sports noted Los Angeles ranks last in scoring at 99 points this season with an NFL-high 17 turnovers. McDaniel is still the playcaller after Harbaugh kept him on the call sheet coming out of the bye; this is a location change, not a new voice.
He last worked from upstairs as San Francisco's offensive coordinator in 2021. This year he had stayed on the field to prioritize face-to-face work with a new staff and Justin Herbert. From the box, he said, "you can see the game better" if there is no downside to leaving the field. He cited watching Kyle Shanahan call plays from upstairs in Atlanta as part of why he is trying the move now.
For RSO owners, nothing about Herbert's role or McDaniel's title changes on Sunday. The same call sheet is coming from a different seat. Do not treat this as a new scheme. Treat it as an experiment under the same coordinator after a historic scoring stall.
What to do now: leave Herbert in only if your alternatives are worse, and do not buy Chargers pass catchers solely on the booth news. If you own Ladd McConkey or other Chargers skill pieces, hold through the Texans game and judge the tape after, not the presser.
