Author: alaskaadmin

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Welcome to West Coast Read, a weekly spin around what’s happening in the NFL on the Left Coast. And to kick things off, we start with a conversation I had with new Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and his plans for Justin Herbert. McDaniel displayed flashes of excellence as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, but things ultimately fizzled in four seasons on South Beach. However, McDaniel was highly sought after this offseason by several teams, both as a head coach and offensive coordinator, because of his reputation for innovation as a playcaller. With plenty of options on the table, McDaniel chose the Chargers because of the vast array of skills Justin Herbert has at his disposal, providing a stark contrast to the limited skill set his previous quarterback in Miami had in Tua Tagovailoa, taken one spot above Herbert at No. 5 overall in the 2020 draft. McDaniel told me his 20 years of coaching in the NFL prepared him for this crossroads moment of his career in coaching the most talented quarterback he’s ever worked with in the league. “It’s as simple as I’m not sure there are many players in my entire career that are more talented to play the quarterback position than Justin,” McDaniel told me in a conversation after practice during training camp. “And so, with those talents, I learned and built offensive systems around players who are not as talented, so it forces you to try and get really high-level play from guys that don’t have those supreme skill sets. “Your offense and problem-solving are at its best, where maybe you don’t have to solve those problems from a coaching perspective [with Herbert]. There’s a certain coverage or a certain defensive issue that’s presented, and your quarterback can scramble and go get the first down. And you don’t have to solve the problem as a coach. That’s the greatest blessing of bouncing around NFL teams as you evolve as a coach, because you get exposed to so many types of talents. So, you’re not pigeonholed.” McDaniel provided this example: if he had landed in New England early in his coaching career working with someone like Tom Brady back in 2007, he would have benefited from one of the best quarterbacks ever at solving pre-snap issues, changing plays and protections that put his offense in the best situations. And maybe that would have stunted his growth as a play designer. “And then, when you don’t have him, what type of coach can you be?” McDaniel told me. “I think as a young coach, I would have really screwed it up. I would have asked for Justin as young as possible, but I’m very much glad I’m finally getting the opportunity to coach him now, after solving problems with guys that can’t throw it as far or overcome a poorly designed play where things are gloved and just scramble for the first down.” McDaniel said he maintained discipline installing the offense, making sure to focus on Herbert’s footwork and improving his ability to get the ball out quick on short completions before getting to the good stuff — how to take advantage of the Oregon product’s otherworldly arm strength. That occurred midway through training camp, and the results of that were evident when Herbert connected a long touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston during a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. McDaniel will fix L.A.’s offense, so Herbert plays at an MVP level by making sure he doesn’t get bored with short completions that help move the chains and providing a more consistent running attack led by a healthy Omarion Hampton. But McDaniel needs to accomplish two things to be deemed a successful season for himself and Herbert: No. 1, his quarterback can’t continuously get belted like a piñata, leading the league in sacks and quarterback hits. And second, Herbert’s postseason stat line must improve from a career 54.7 completion percentage, with two touchdowns and five interceptions for a 64.7 passer rating. Herbert is 0-3 in the playoffs and under his direction in the postseason, L.A.’s offenses have averaged 15 points per game. McDaniel believes good things are in store for Herbert and the Bolts, but that must translate into some postseason wins. “It’s been an interesting, very cool process — bucketing all the stuff we’re getting him to work on and then taking some of the stuff that he’s done at a very high level and making sure that isn’t lost in this offense,” McDaniel told me. “That’s why I was front-loaded in watching all the film from his career so that I could build an install that both incorporated the stuff I wanted to work on but allowed for the field to distribute so that later in plays he can make off-schedule stuff happen like he always has. “There’s different parts of the field that he can access that most throwers can’t. So, there’s been some work on just making sure that skill set is utilized. Which, from an offensive perspective, is even a more powerful way to make the defense defend the entire field. Balancing that stuff out — we didn’t work on anything that was big arm down the field until probably the last week — so, really focused on small ball, getting the ball out on plant throws and quick-timing plays. I knew that was the biggest jump he needed to make. I was very proud of myself because I put off all the fun, down-the-field stuff until just recently.” Speaking of the Chargers, they have a chance to pair up with their crosstown rival Rams and achieve something unprecedented in the NFL. Former Raiders CEO and Los Angeles native Amy Trask served as an intern when the Los Angeles Raiders won the Super Bowl after the team’s 1983 season after relocating from Oakland. So, Trask understands what an all-Los Angeles Super Bowl would mean for the city. “I’ve heard a number of discussions about this,” Trask told me. “Some have suggested that would be disappointing for tourism and for the hotels industry because arguably you’d have far less people traveling to the game if neither of the teams were located outside of Los Angeles. “But I have a different view. While I understand the point that is made, I think it could be a tremendous opportunity for the region to showcase itself. The Los Angeles area and the region itself did a spectacular job during the World Cup. We of course have the Olympics coming in a couple years. But with the Super Bowl coming in February, if it is the Los Angeles Chargers vs. Los Angeles Rams, think about what the region can do to showcase itself.” The Rams are a heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl after executing blockbuster trades for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie, along with the return of All-Pro Aaron Donald from a two-year retirement. After back-to-back 11-6 seasons under Harbaugh and quick exits from the postseason, the Chargers have the sixth-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +1700. This year’s Super Bowl is set to take place at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14. The last time the Super Bowl was played in Los Angeles was in 2022, when the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on their home field. The first Super Bowl in L.A. took place at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1967, with the Green Bay Packers defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. In all, nine Super Bowls have been played in Los Angeles. Only Miami (11) and New Orleans (11) have hosted more. The Chargers won their only championship in 1963, a 55-10 victory over the Boston Patriots for the American Football League title at Balboa Stadium in San Diego. Along with winning it all four years ago, the Rams also lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Coliseum in 1980 in Super Bowl XIV. Rams CEO Kevin Demoff recently recognized it’s been 10 years since the Rams moved back to Los Angeles. It’s been nine years since the Chargers relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles. During that time, the two teams have combined for 11 playoff appearances and a Super Bowl victory for the Rams after the 2021 season in the stadium that Rams owner Stan Kroenke built. Yes, the same Kroenke who just bought the Los Angeles Angels. A Rams-Chargers Super Bowl could be kismet. “Having grown up in Los Angeles and living in Los Angeles, you’ve got everything here,” Trask said. “It’s a very reasonable drive from the mountains, which will have snow on them, the desert, which will be very beautiful, and the beaches, which are always beautiful. Exploit the region. Show off the region. That’s what I think can be done if it ended up Chargers-Rams.” Jeremiyah Love, whom the Arizona Cardinals took with the third overall pick in this year’s draft, flashed electric playmaking ability in his first and only action during the preseason, totaling 58 yards on 11 carries in a Week 1 contest against the Raiders. But Love suffered a high-ankle sprain and hasn’t practiced since, making his availability in his team’s season opener on the road against the Chargers a question mark. While most NFL observers consider Love the most talented running back in this year’s draft class, a longtime NFL talent evaluator believes Love’s backup at Norte Dame, Jadarian Price, might be the better player. Scott McCloughan served as San Francisco’s top personnel man for four seasons and Seahawks general manager John Schneider’s right-hand man as senior personnel executive from 2010 to 2013. McCloughan also worked in personnel for the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders and currently serves as a draft consultant for teams and agents that hire him to evaluate NFL prospects. “I think he’s Nick Chubb,” McCloughan told me about Price. McCloughan was in Cleveland when they drafted Chubb. “He’s a big guy who can run downhill. He’s got some speed. He’s got some elusiveness and ball skills. I told Johnny [Schneider] when they drafted him, ‘You just got a hell of a player dude.’” At 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, Price ran a 4.49-second, 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine. And while he doesn’t possess the elusiveness or pass-catching ability of Love, he has a clearer path to a workhorse role for the Seahawks, with Kenneth Walker signing with the Chiefs in free agency and Zach Charbonnet working his way back from season-ending knee surgery, Along with Love’s injury concerns, he’s also in a stacked running back room that includes experienced veterans Tyler Allgeier and James Conner. Love is actually listed as the No. 2 running back on Arizona’s depth chart. But McCloughan believes Price will be a more productive back than Love in their NFL careers. “You know what, it was very close,” McCloughan told me. “I mean, it wasn’t a slam dunk. And don’t get me wrong, Love’s really good. And of course, Love was the starter. But Jadarian, I think he’s going to be a really good NFL running back. I know Nick just recently retired, but when he was in his prime, he was kicking ass. “He’s got a lot of power, but he also has speed.” Rams head coach Sean McVay predominantly used three-receiver sets during his time with the Rams, usually leading the league in that personnel grouping. However, due to injuries and effectiveness, McVay’s Rams led the league by using three tight end personnel groupings on 331 snaps in 2025, averaging 6.2 yards per play. It’s by far the most a team has used that formation over the past decade in a single season. The second-most was 183 by the Cleveland Browns in 2021. League-wide, teams used three tight ends 5% of the time in 2025, up from 3.5% in 2024. Moreover, 21 tight ends were selected in this year’s draft, the most since 2002 (24). The Rams drafted another tight end this year in Max Klare and are carrying five on the active roster, so McVay could be planning to lean on three TE sets again. However, new Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, who served as the San Francisco 49ers tight ends coach before taking his new job, does not expect the Rams to use three tight end sets as often this season. “Last year, I think they caught a lot of people off guard by doing that, especially in those first few weeks,” Fleury said. “When you get into bigger groupings, usually it simplifies the defensive menu. But as they continue to put it on the field, the defensive menu continues to grow as people become more prepared. “Going into this season, while that might seem like an advantageous trend for an offense to do, the entire league has had the entire offseason to come up with their plan for defending their team personnel. So, I don’t think you’re going to see quite the same advantages. We will have some of it available and deploy it when we feel appropriate. But I don’t know that you are going to get quite the level of production that the Rams had out of it league-wide.” A weekly look at the top five teams among the NFC and AFC West: 5. Kansas City Chiefs I’m tempted to put the Chargers here, but even though he’s recovering from a knee injury, I trust Patrick Mahomes more than Herbert. 4. San Francisco 49ers They’re a M*A*S*H unit on both sides of the ball, but Shanahan will figure out how to cobble together enough healthy bodies to play winning football. 3. Denver Broncos They have one of the best defenses in the league and one of the most underrated QBs in Bo Nix. 2. Los Angeles Rams In Sean McVay we trust, unless it’s booking travel arrangements. 1. Seattle Seahawks To be the best, you must beat the best. Showing the defending champs some respect here, unlike the rest of the country. “There’s only three players that I would stand up and watch play: LT (Lawrence Taylor), Reggie White and Aaron Donald. Those are three guys where I would watch every play because I’ve never seen nothing like it. And I think Myles [Garrett] could be that same type of player here, for sure.” Eric Dickerson to me on the impact Myles Garrett could have on the Los Angeles Rams.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Look, LSU. Look, Michigan. College football doesn’t like what you’re doing — or what you’ve been allowed to get away with. You’re paying the malicious compliance tax. That’s the tax where folks are doing just enough to satisfy the rules or the contract, but not enough to make the process a pleasant one. And being right isn’t going to change their minds. College football has spent the last few years changing what it will tolerate. Players can make millions. Transfers can move immediately. The playoff can crown an undisputed national champion. The sport has made room for immediate eligibility upon transferring schools — “free agency” — according to some coaches. But there are still lines that fans, coaches and administrators simply won’t let you cross. LSU and Michigan are the latest high-profile examples of how the sport operates, and it’s on emotion first. Objectively, the Wolverines did nothing illegal in their 13-12 win over in-state foe Western Michigan. They played by the rules enforced by Big Ten officials and scored what — under normal circumstances — would have been a dramatic, game-winning touchdown at home. Michigan fans stormed the field, and head coach Kyle Whittingham made the appropriate remarks about narrowly escaping with a victory. Except they didn’t. The Wolverines didn’t win the game — not in the eyes of the public and not in the eyes of the Mid-American Conference, which lodged an appeal with the NCAA and College Football Playoff seeking to have its loss overturned. Normally, the scoreboard settles these kinds of debates. But the clock is at issue, and to everyone watching the broadcast, the game was over when it struck zero. Then, the replay booth intervened. Its clock showed one second remaining after the play was dead. One second Michigan didn’t appear to have. One second that gave the Wolverines another snap and a chance to turn what looked like a 12-7 loss into a 13-12 victory. The rules said Michigan had time. The audience saw a game that was already over. And in the end, Michigan went on to win a game that most believe is so unfair that they want to see the final result changed. Now, No. 11 Oklahoma comes to the Big House on Saturday (noon ET, FOX), and the fallout from that finish has changed the way people see Michigan. The Wolverines aren’t just viewed as a team that got away with one. They’re viewed as a team that isn’t as good as many of us who cover the sport once thought. In my Top 25 rankings this week, I dropped Michigan from No. 16 to No. 25 despite the fact that it won the game on the scoreboard. And the scoreboard deserves our respect. Heck, even the NCAA does. According to NCAA Rule 1-1-3-5 Winning and Final Score, Article 3, paragraph B: “When the referee declares that the game is ended, the score is final.” But in a move I found utterly shocking, my peers who vote in the AP Top 25 Poll each week saw fit to cast Michigan out of the top 25 entirely. That’s a drastic fall — 10 spots if we’re counting down through the teams that also received votes — and it tells us something: Most AP voters don’t believe Michigan’s win on the scoreboard is valid. And that raises the question of just how much it means to win — or lose — as each week draws us closer to the 2026 College Football Playoff selection. Meanwhile, in Baton Rouge, the SEC is suing one of its own members in federal court. In its amended complaint, the conference alleges “a lack of institutional control” and is seeking a court order that could pave the way for LSU’s expulsion from the SEC. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin and his program have continued to not just act against the interests of its conference, but mock it. On Saturday night, Kiffin asked a rhetorical question during a halftime interview while his team was throttling Dabo Swinney’s Tigers. “Imagine if we had pro players,” Kiffin quipped. It’s the kind of joke Kiffin thought was harmless, but the rest of us — notably the SEC — saw as a mockery of one of college football’s core beliefs: Professionals aren’t allowed to play the amateur game. The fact that some college players make more money annually than some NFL players doesn’t incite the same outrage as Kiffin attempting to put men who have signed professional football contracts on his college roster. The SEC wants to make an example of LSU. As of Wednesday, the feud between LSU and the SEC has cooled down, at least now. The Tigers added two players to complete its 105-man roster, eliminating the possibility of bringing in former NFL rookies Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris. But emotion, not reason, has long been the guiding hand of college football. This weekend was no different. I believe three things get you and keep you in a job: 1. Be on time. 2. Be good at your job. 3. Have people like you. You must have two of the three to keep your job. That means if people like you, and you’re on time, you can get away with not being excellent at your job. But if people don’t like you, and you show up late, being good at your job isn’t going stop you from getting fired. Right now, the SEC doesn’t believe LSU is on time — look at the timing of adding these players — and doesn’t much like LSU. It really doesn’t matter that LSU stomped a mud-hole in Clemson and walked it dry if you’re not on time and people don’t like you. And that’s why college football is a people business. Managing emotions and irrational expectations is how this sport moves. When you take those emotions for granted or try to talk people out of how they feel with reason, they turn feral in a hurry. They’ll remind you just what is and isn’t kosher. In this chaotic moment for college football, the sport has shown once again it knows what it wants, what it will allow and what it won’t. My advice: Say you’re sorry for winning a game the sport believes you shouldn’t have, Michigan. Apologize to the SEC with both knees on the floor, LSU. I assure you, the juice ain’t worth the squeeze.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports