EL SEGUNDO — Expectations can be tricky, which was why Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel declined to get too specific when asked about his expectations for quarterback Justin Herbert going into their first season together, and with the season-opening game now only days away.
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“Aggressively not ceilinged,” McDaniel said Wednesday.
Translation?
It’s not about a specific number of victories this season.
It’s not about a specific number of passing yards.
It’s not about a specific number of completions.
It’s also not about a specific number of touchdown passes, either.
“I’m expecting success,” McDaniel said, simply.
So, that’s led to McDaniel speaking to Herbert in the abstract.
“Hey, dude, can you get better at something applicable that’s real for this game?” McDaniel said in the latest in a long line of wide-ranging conversations with reporters since he was hired to replace Greg Roman in January. “One thing each day. To do that, it takes an incredible amount of focus because there’s no scorecard and it can’t be about being competitive. It has to be about being locked in and getting real muscle memory, and I thought he did that, so it’s been a good week.”
The Chargers conclude Week 0 with a practice on Thursday.
Their season-opening game is Sept. 13 against the Arizona Cardinals.
It didn’t take McDaniel and Herbert long to bond, and it’s only become stronger through spring workouts, OTAs, minicamp and training camp. Measuring success, meeting expectations and perhaps surpassing them will be evaluated in the days to come, however.
“So, high expectations, not ceilings, trying to attack each day, don’t want him to slow down and what it is, is we’ll go out there Week 1, it’ll be four quarters and we’ll assess the tape after Week 1,” McDaniel said. “My expectation is not result-based, but that we’ll be able to improve on things from that tape and apply them to the next opponent, so that we can continue to get better.
“That’s his key for the football he’s trying to play.”
PLAYING DEFENSE
In the end, despite making a procedural move on cutdown day on Sunday, the Chargers had no intention of actually releasing JK Scott despite a couple of head-scratching events during the preseason. So said Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz, who defended the veteran punter.
The Chargers did release Scott on Sunday, but they re-signed him on Monday, a move that allowed them to maintain their flexibility in establishing their initial 53-man roster. There was plenty of Internet scuttlebutt that the Chargers would go in a different direction and sign a new punter.
Coach Jim Harbaugh and special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken each criticized Scott publicly for failing to attempt to tackle Jacob Cowing on what turned out to be an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown during the Chargers’ preseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 20.
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Scott then shanked a 25-yard punt the following week against the Rams.
Hortiz wasn’t buying into the narrative that it was time to move on from Scott.
“I’m not going to knock a guy on one game,” Hortiz said. “What I’ve known of JK the last two years is that he’s a top-10 net average punter. He can drive the ball. He hangs the ball. He limits the returns. I’m happy with JK. Everyone has a bad run. Everyone does.”
Scott averaged 41.4 net yards per punt last season, his fourth with the Chargers.
CAPTAINS NAMED
Herbert, right tackle Joe Alt, long snapper Josh Harris, linebacker Daiyan Henley, safety Derwin James Jr., outside linebacker Khalil Mack, wide receiver Ladd McConkey, safety Elijah Molden, left tackle Rashawn Slater and outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu were named team captains.
“Grateful, honestly, I was really excited about it,” said McConkey, a first-time captain who is in his third NFL season. “I take a lot of pride in it because it’s voted on by my teammates.”
ROSTER MOVES
The Chargers tweaked their 17-man practice squad by signing cornerback Kaiir Elam, wide receiver Theo Wease and defensive lineman Jordan Jefferson and cutting wide receiver Devonte Ross, cornerback Isas Wexter and defensive lineman Jahmeer Carter to make room on the roster.
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