The Chargers brought in offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to improve a unit that already finished in the top half of the league in 2022, ranking 13th in points and ninth in yards.
One of the ways Moore looks forward to doing so is entrusting rocket-armed quarterback Justin Herbert with taking big shots.
“Justin’s such a smart decision maker,” Moore said on The Season with Peter Schrager podcast. “It allows you to really call it in an aggressive manner. He does such a great job. We always say, aggressively take what they give us. Like if they give us these shots, they give us something vertical, we got these skill players that we feel really really good about. Just take them. Just go for it. And if not, take the completion. Take the checkdown. … I think the mentality of that has been the way we’ve been kind of training this entire offseason, and certainly I think we’ve got the guys to be able to execute those things.”
Although Herbert’s average depth of target (7.2 yards) last season placed him 45th in the league, per PFF, that number is artificially diminished to an extent by Los Angeles’ tendency to pepper running back Austin Ekeler in the short-area passing game.
Herbert was by no means scared to uncork the long ball, and as Moore alluded to, he was one of the best in the NFL at choosing his spots safely.
He attempted 68 passes of 20-plus yards in 2022, seventh-most of any QB, connecting for seven of his 25 touchdowns on deep throws -- and just 2.6% of his attempts were considered turnover-worthy plays.
Still, Herbert took a slight step back last year overall despite leading Los Angeles to a playoff berth and setting a new career high with a 68.2 completion percentage. He finished the regular season with the worst passer rating (93.2) and lowest TD total of his three-year career, and he allowed his offense to disappear in the second half of a historic wild-card collapse against the Jaguars.
Moore comes to L.A. a seemingly perfect fit to help Herbert and the Chargers offensive recover to new heights. He spent four years coordinating a Cowboys offense that ranked sixth or better in scoring three times and twice led the NFL in yards.
Beyond pointing to Herbert’s physical and leadership capabilities as a reason to be excited for a full-throttle offense in the coming months, Moore also referenced the roster’s height advantage.
The Chargers’ top three wide receivers are now all 6-foot-2 or taller after the team spent the No. 21 overall pick in April’s draft on Quentin Johnston, who matches Mike Williams as the club’s tallest wideout at 6-4. Keenan Allen stands 6-2. Josh Palmer and Jalen Guyton, likely the fourth and fifth options, are both 6-1.
There’s also the 6-8 Donald Parham backing up Gerald Everett, 6-3, at tight end.
It doesn't guarantee success, of course, but having a group of pass catchers with their heads above the clouds is something Moore is planning on taking full advantage of.
“Having versatility on the offense, which I think we’re really, really excited about being able to use guys in different positions,” Moore said. “Align them in different ways and utilize all that. We like to say we’ve got so much height on this team, we’re going to be throwing in a different jet stream. These guys … it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”