Something had to change after the LA Chargers blew a 27-0 lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL Playoffs. That change was with the coaching staff, as both coordinators were let go while head coach Brandon Staley kept his job.
It took some time but the Chargers remained patient and eventually replaced Joe Lombardi with former Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Moore piloted several top-tier offenses in Dallas but with Mike McCarthy wanting more offensive control, the two sides decided to part ways.
Moore has taken his offensive philosophy to LA and the buzz coming out of training camp has been extremely positive. Fans are extremely excited to see how Moore's offense translates to the regular season, especially because Justin Herbert will no longer be asked to run an offense designed for 40-year-old Drew Brees.
Lombardi's tenure with the Chargers got really ugly toward the end and fans are hoping that Moore can be different in every way possible in 2023. Those same fans were extremely excited after Moore's comments on Tuesday, as he confirmed that he is breaking a trend that Lombardi set while he was the OC.
#Chargers OC Kellen Moore confirmed he will be on the sidelines calling plays during regular season games, a shift from what was done by previous OC Joe Lombardi who remained in the booth.
— Dan W. (@DanWSports) August 15, 2023
Kellen Moore will run the Chargers offense from the sideline, not the booth like Joe Lombardi.
There are several great offensive coordinators that call the offense from the booth but for the most part, it is more common for offensive coordinators to run the offense from the sideline where they can be more in the mix with what is going on.
Calling plays from the booth gave Lombardi a unique visual on how the plays were developing but in today's NFL that is not totally needed with scouts and cameras up high to instantly feed the action down to the sideline. Instead, being in the mix on the sideline may be more advantageous for offensive coordinators.
On the sideline, Moore can actually get a feel for the team and his offensive unit. Up in the booth, Lombardi was isolated. Sure, there was communication between the coaching staff but there was still that level of separation that existed. Breaking down that barrier, especially for a young offense, is important.
Does the fact that Moore is calling plays from the sideline guarantee success in 2023? Not at all. But thus far, Moore and the Chargers offense have been doing all the right things.