Chargers hiring Kellen Moore as their new OC

COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers have agreed to phrases with Kellen Moore to be their new offensive coordinator, the crew introduced Monday.

The transfer comes lower than 24 hours after the Dallas Cowboys launched a press release that stated Moore and the crew had reached a “mutual choice to half methods” following an end-of-season evaluate course of.

In L.A., Moore is changing offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, who was fired after a 10-7 season that resulted in a historic meltdown loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars within the wild-card spherical.

Moore, 33, will take over an offense led by quarterback Justin Herbert, who final season handed Andrew Luck to tally probably the most passing yards by way of a participant’s first three NFL seasons. Moore additionally inherits receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and working again Austin Ekeler, who final season led the NFL with 18 touchdowns.

Moore goes from teaching Dak Prescott, who led the league in interception charge (3.8%) this season, to Herbert, who had the seventh-lowest interception charge (1.4%) within the NFL, in accordance with ESPN Stats & Info analysis.

On the outset of the seek for a brand new offensive coordinator, coach Brandon Staley stated he would search for management and a system that resembled those deployed by Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay and San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.

“The offenses that I believe are probably the most difficult to defend … are those that put a variety of stress on you each snap, when it comes to marrying the run recreation to the cross recreation, placing a variety of stress on you with personnel groupings, tempo, movement, and with the ability to get the explosions constantly,” Staley stated.

The Chargers’ offense ranked tenth final season, scoring a median of twenty-two.47 factors per recreation. However they struggled to constantly run the soccer, averaging solely 89.6 yards per recreation, which ranked thirtieth.

Moore spent 4 seasons as coordinator for the Cowboys, together with his offense rating within the prime 4 in factors per recreation (27.7), yards per recreation (391) and third-down conversion proportion (44%).

With the Chargers, he is anticipated to deploy a extra balanced offensive assault than the Bolts relied on beneath Lombardi.

Final season, the Chargers known as a designed cross on 68% of performs, the second-highest charge within the NFL behind solely the Buccaneers (68.1%). The Cowboys known as a designed cross on 54.6% of their performs in 2022, the sixth-lowest charge within the league.

“When it comes to the passing recreation, that is what we have been in a position to do at a excessive degree for the final two years, throw the soccer,” Staley stated earlier than Moore’s hiring. “However to be extra explosive, you might have to have the ability to run the soccer extra constantly to place extra stress on folks.”

The Cowboys beneath Moore ranked eleventh in charge of explosive performs (10.1%), certified as a 10-yard run or 20-yard cross play, whereas the Chargers the final two seasons beneath Lombardi ranked thirtieth (8.1%).

The Chargers additionally interviewed Rams passing recreation coordinator/quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson, Rams senior offensive assistant Greg Olsen, Rams assistant head coach/tight ends coach Thomas Brown and Minnesota Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson for the place.

It is unclear whether or not Moore will make additional adjustments to the Chargers’ offensive workers. A emptiness stays at quarterbacks coach after Shane Day additionally was fired after the season.