By Even on a broader level, given Herbert’s skillset, those around want to see more high-flying attack in 2023.
“One of the things Justin Herbert should be able to excel at is stretching the field. We see it when it’s crunch time, like that game against the Titans where he’s got to have it, he rolls to his right and hits Mike Williams,” said Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk. “Those are the kinds of things that I think Kellen Moore will bring to an offense on a down to down basis that we didn’t necessarily see last year.
“You have somebody that understands how to build an offense like that, I think that that’s going to help immensely,” Simmons added.
But don’t discredit Moore’s emphasis on the run game, too.
Even if the Bolts air it out more in 2023, Moore said in his introductory media availability that having a competent run game helps create success through the air.
Tyler Dragon, an NFL columnist at USA TODAY, said he expects to see a more balanced Chargers offense in the months ahead.
“Kellen Moore likes to establish the running game a little bit more, so that will be effective,” Dragon said. “Ezekiel Elliott when he was in his prime and obviously Tony Pollard, the Cowboys liked to run the ball, and then the Cowboys incorporated a lot of read option. I do think that Justin Herbert would be good in those type of plays, because … [Herbert] has some mobility, and that was under-utilized.
“I know a lot of people talk about getting speed at the receiver position,” Dragon later added. “I’m of the mindset if I was an offensive coordinator where I was the coach, I would try to establish the run a little bit more because that opens up the passing game deep down the field. You do a play-action pass and safeties have to play up a little bit more and then that will open up the pass game for those big, explosive plays.”
Moore has been with the Bolts for only a few weeks, but it’s clear that his arrival was well-received across the league.
And while the results of his impact won’t be known until the 2023 regular-season starts, it’s clear that analysts have high hopes for the Chargers offense going forward.
“Kellen Moore’s offense doesn’t necessarily lead the league in any areas of sort of low-hanging fruit,” Monson said. “But schematic wrinkles, kind of steal offense here or there … he uses all of them to varying degrees. Whether it’s pre-snap motion, whether it’s quirky formations, personnel usage, all that kind of stuff, he’s taking a bit here or there from all of these things.
“I think he’s clearly a smart offensive mind and a smart play caller and a guy that is pretty aggressive with his offensive,” Monson added. “I’m excited to see what he can get out of a quarterback like Justin Herbert, who has been fantastic.”
