How Mike McDaniel could transform the Chargers offense with screens

• League-wide screen frequency suffers a sharp regression: After peaking at 2,252 attempts in 2023, modern NFL screen-pass volume plummeted to 1,881 targets last season, marking the largest single-year usage drop recorded in the PFF era.

• Mike McDaniel brings an elite baseline to Los Angeles: Operating at a completely different philosophical frequency, McDaniel's systems led the NFL in screen rate for a second consecutive year, routing 20.3% of total pass attempts behind the line of scrimmage.

• Justin Herbert's historical ball security offers stability: While the Chargers finished 30th in screen efficiency last year, Herbert ranks fourth overall in PFF screen-passing grade over the last five seasons without committing a single turnover-worthy play.

Screen passes have increasingly become one of the NFL’s favorite offensive tools. Often viewed as an extension of the run game, screens allow offenses to manufacture easy touches, slow down aggressive pass rushes and create opportunities for their best playmakers in space.

League-wide screen-pass volume rose for much of the past decade, climbing from 1,660 attempts in 2016 to a high of 2,252 in 2023. Usage edged down in 2024 (2,209 attempts) before falling sharply in 2025 to 1,881 — the largest single-year drop in this span and the lowest league total since 2018.

The Denver Broncos called a league-leading 111 screen passes last season, while the Houston Texans called just 38. Each offensive playcaller’s philosophy differs, but few coaches have built a stronger attachment to screen concepts than Mike McDaniel.

Over the past two seasons in Miami, McDaniel’s Dolphins led the NFL in screen rate. In 2025, 20.3% of Miami’s pass attempts were screens, leading the league for the second consecutive season.