Mike McDaniel: Study of Schematics and Player Archetypes
- Tyler Lawrence
- 4 hours ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
The Chargers are back into Organized Team Activities, really the first step toward preparing for the 2026-2027 NFL season. This is where the team begins installing the offensive and defensive schemes of new Offensive Coordinator Mike McDaniel and new Defensive Coordinator Chris O’Leary. There shouldn’t be much of a change in defensive scheme, considering Chris O’Leary was the Chargers Saftey Coach in 2024 under Jesse Mentor. The scheme change going from Greg Roman to Mike McDaniel will look a lot different.
Mike McDaniels Scheme: Zone Blocking
Throughout McDaniels coaching career, he learned under the tutelage of Kyle Shanahan and ultimately, his father Mike Shanahan. Mike Shanahan created the Zone Blocking scheme with Alex Gibbs during the Broncos early Super Bowl runs in the late 1990’s. This scheme has lineman move in unison toward a zone and allows running backs to stay patient behind the line of scrimmage and hit the hole with timing as blocks develop. This is opposed to a Gap Scheme, where the idea is is more rooted in the biggest and strongest lineman who want to over power defenders. The goal of zone blocking is gaining leverage over power, and let ball carriers make decisions about rushing lanes.
Some of the most well known running backs who have thrived in zone runs include Terrell Davis, Arian Foster, Clinton Portis, Le’Veon Bell, Christian McCaffrey and most recently, De’Von Achane. The two key attributes for running backs to be successful is patience behind the line of scrimmage and explosion once a crease opens to turn short gains into big ones. Lineman need to be athletic enough to cover ground quickly to overtake and gain leverage against opponents.
Film Study: Week 10 Dolphins @ Buffalo
In addition to lineman moving in unison, McDaniels is known for three other things inside his zone scheme. Using a range of formations not typically seen in the NFL, shifts/motions, and misdirection. In this formation, there is a 6th offensive lineman lined up at tight end to the right of the formation (#64 Daniel Brunskill). The first shift sees FB Alec Ingold move from slot WR to this funky wing position outside of the left tackle. There are 7 blockers to 7 defenders in the box.
This play is similar to a counter run. Prior to the snap, Alex Ingold moves in motion to turn this formation into what you may recognize as either I-Formation or Pro Weak. At the snap, your going to get down blocks left from Left Tackle to Center, where the Center is the uncovered and can move up to the weak side linebacker. There is a double team by the Right Guard/Right Tackle on the Defensive Tackle lined up over the Right Guard. The Quarterback is going to pitch left to Achane and the defense is going to flow to the left side of the field. There are 3 key misdirection things happening here.
All 5 offensive lineman or blocking down to the left.
The pitch left to the running back
The fullback who motioned in the backfield and looks to be redirecting to again block left.
For all intents and purposes, this looks like a designed run (Pitch) to the left side of the field. But this is where the misdirection comes into play.
First, the Fullback has eyes back to the right side of the field and the defensive end (Joey Bosa) on that side of the field is left unblocked. Next, the offensive lineman playing tight end on the right side of the field has an angle to down block the strong side linebacker. You have a receiver making his way up to the saftey, and you have the running back with eyes back to the right side of the field. The structure of these zone blocks is meant to make the whole defensive side of the ball slide to the opposite side of this designed run.
This is where were patience for Runningbacks in this scheme is so vital. Because the middle linebacker doubles back to force the run back inside, he gets out of position and helps open a wide rushing lane for Achane. The cut block by the fullback on Joey Bosa takes him out of the play. Achane has the wheels to win this track meet, but it’s the patience, first and foremost, behind the line of scrimmage allowing blocks to develop, and the explosion to hit the hole with timing that turns this into a big gain.
Mike McDaniels Schematic Player Archetypes
One false narritive that seems to keep coming up is that Mike McDaniels requires a certain kind of receiver or specific types of players. But if you look back on McDaniels history, before his time as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, you’ll see a different story. While it’s true that he based his offense around speed with the Dolphins, if you look at his time with the Falcons, Redskins, or the 49ers, you’ll see different archetypes.
Miami Dolphins (2022 - 2025)
QB - Tua Tagovailoa
RB - Devon Achane/Raheem Mostert
WR - Tyreek Hill/Jaylen Waddle/ Malik Washington
TE/FB - Jonnu Smith/Alec Ingold
The Dolphins were built around speed at all position groups. In 2023, Tua Tagovailoa led the league in passing yardage, 4th in completion percentage, 6th in passing touchdowns, and 5th in Passer Rating. The offense was rooted in quick game passing, with a league best of 2.33 seconds time to throw. McDaniels knew that Tua didn’t have the biggest arm, but his strength was mechanics of his feet, throwing over the middle, and has the accuracy and ball placement to be effective in the pocket.
McDaniels surrounded Tua around lightning fast playmakers who were positive route runners, understood spacing between zones, and were phenomenal after the catch. Tyreek Hill finished north of 1,800 yards receiving, while Waddle finished north of 1,000 yards receiving. Raheem Mostert, and De’Von Achane both finished with over 1,000 all purpose yards. The Dolphins had four players finished with over 1,000 all purpose yards, and they were highly effective stretching defenses both vertically and horizontally.
San Francisco 49ers (2017-2021)
QB - Jimmy Garappalo, Trey Lance
RB - Carlos Hyde, Matt Brieda, Raheem Mostert, Elijah Mitchell
WR - Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Kendrick Bourne
TE/FB George Kittle, Kyle Juszcyzk
The 49ers went through a lot of change during McDaniels tenure as a Run Game Specialist, Run Game Coordinator, and Offensive Coordinator. While there were similarities in running back archetypes to Achane, mainly being speedy track athletes, there was never a star, and injuries forced a different running back to take lead snaps each year.
The passing game flowed through an All-Pro tight end by name of George Kittle. Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk were acquired later in McDaniels time, but these were different players than Tua/Waddle. Deebo Samuel was built more like a running back, and utilized more like a gadget player and Swiss Army knife. Deebo played a “Wide Back” role, being the key movement player pre-snap and formation setter. Aiyuk was more of a true receiver, with a well rounded toolset. But these were not 4.3 speed guys that you saw in Miami.
Atlanta Falcons (2015-2016)
QB - Matt Ryan
RB - Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman
WR - Julio Jones, Roddy White, Mohammad Sanu, Taylor Gabriel
TE/FB Austin Hooper, Patrick DeMarco
The 2016 Falcons looked much different then what was seen in San Francisco and Miami. Matt Ryan was more of a gun slinger at quarterback, and the receiver group were big possession receivers standing 6’2 to 6’3. The team still utilized a zone run concept, but Devonta Freeman wasn’t a speed back. His 40-yard-dash was a 4.58. This team made it to the Super Bowl and not structured anywhere near what McDaniels is known for.
Washington Redskins (2011-2013)
QB - Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, Rex Grossman,
RB - Alfred Morris, Roy Helu
WR - Santana Moss, Pierre Garcon, Jabar Gaffney
TE/FB Fred Davis, Jorden Reed,
Robert Griffin really only had one special year, as injuries derailed a hot start to his NFL career. But McDaniel helped craft an entire offense around his skill set. It was a trully remarkable to see how they turned Griffin into a relevant threat. The Redskins had an athletic quarterback who was as much a threat through the air as was on the ground.
Griffin rushed for over 800 yards as a rookie with run game concepts that included run-pass read-option plays. While used in college, read option was really a new development in the NFL at the time, and there’s a case to be made that Shanahan and McDaniel were at the forefront of bringing it to the NFL. Ironically, Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman also used the concept with Colin Kaepernick. Alfred Morris had a 1,600 yard rushing season in the scheme, and eventually got Kyle Shanahan a job to the Falcons.
Los Angeles Chargers (2026)
QB - Justin Herbert
RB - Omarian Hampton, Keaton Mitchell
WR - Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Tre Harris
TE/FB David Njoku, Charlie Kolar, Oronde Gadsden, Alec Ingold
Mike McDaniel may have a type, but he does not have a scheme or player archetype that he needs to fit his scheme. He molds his scheme to fit the strengths of his players. He definately likes having speed, which is something he has in Los Angeles with Keaton Mitchell, Ladd McConkey, and Brenen Thompson, but that is not a requirement. He will be able to utilize the skill sets of other players, like Omarian Hampton, Tre Harris, and Quentin Johnston. He has a Quarterback in Justin Herbert with a completely different skill set than he’s ever had under center, and that should be exciting to see what creativity concepts he is able to draw up to take advantage of Herbert’s arm cannon.
McDaniels scheme is fluid. Rooted in its concepts will be quick game passing, heavy motion and shifts presnap, misdirection, and most importantly, keeping his quarterback upright. Defenses who lack discipline are going to get burned. This pairing should also pay dividends to Justin Herbert who should be in contention for MVP this season.
Comments