Mike McDaniel’s reputation as a run-game savant grew from a deliberate decision early in his career to live in the trenches. After playing wide receiver at Yale, he broke into the NFL as an intern with the Denver Broncos in 2005, working under Mike Shanahan during the height of Denver’s zone-running dominance. Instead of gravitating toward quarterback play or passing concepts, like his contemporaries Sean McVay and Matt LeFleur chose to do, McDaniel immersed himself in the ground attack. He wanted to master blocking schemes, footwork, and fronts and he did so by leaning heavily on offensive line coaches like Chris Foerster to expand his understanding. That divergence pulled him further into Kyle Shanahan’s orbit and, as a result, he ended up being the lone assistant that Kyle was able to take from Washington to Cleveland. His detailed knowledge of the run game had made him indispensable.
“He likes to run the ball and I am, by trade, I spent a good portion of my career being in charge of the run game and being the run game coordinator.”
Mike McDaniel on shared offensive vision with Jim Harbaugh
In San Francisco, McDaniel’s ideas and teaching became central to one of football’s most consistently creative rushing attacks, built on wide zone, motion, and relentless formation variation. As run game coordinator and later offensive coordinator, he evolved into Shanahan’s closest collaborator on weekly game plans, trusted to shape the offense at its foundation. That partnership, forged through a shared belief in the run as the engine of everything else, propelled McDaniel into the spotlight and ultimately to a head-coaching job of his own with the Miami Dolphins.
During his time in Miami, McDaniel created one of the most dynamic offenses in the league and whilst their production was channeled through their passing attack, it was the connection to the run game that elevated the offense from simply being explosive to something that was revered for its consistency. In 2023 McDaniel’s offense had settled into a rhythm and with Devon Achane in their backfield, they became one of the premier run games in the NFL. As I highlighted in my article introducing McDaniel’s scheme, the Dolphins had found a 60% Zone to 20% Gap ratio that worked well enough to propel them to be the number three rushing team in terms of DVOA despite only running the ball 432 times on the year, which was the 8th fewest of any team.
Whilst McDaniel has mastered the Zone game his explorations into Gap mechanics are both innovative and punishing. Despite his increased resource investment into the Power game it still remained a change-up last season (23%), yet its efficiency went through the roof. To have an EPA/Play of +0.130 and 6.55 Yards Per Carry demonstrates just how McDaniel had nailed his understanding of both when to call it and which concepts to run.
The Scheme
For McDaniel, outside zone sits at the center of the run game because it gives him a common set of movements that everything else can grow from. The footwork, aiming points, first two steps and body positions are drilled with obsessive precision so they can be reused over and over again. Linemen will take the same lateral tracks whether the ball is actually headed wide or whether a tight end is about to cut across behind them. The back will press the landmark with the same tempo whether he plans to bounce, bang, or bend the run back inside.
Those shared techniques are what allow McDaniel to dress up Split-flow, Insert, Lead, and Zorro without giving the defense clean tells. The line direction, the back’s tempo and the quarterback’s footwork all sell Outside Zone. It’s only after defenders have started flowing that the differences appear; when a slicer kicks out the end, a lead blocker climbs into the hole or a backside puller folds into the front while the rest of the unit keeps widening the picture.
The Main Concept Menu
Zone
- Outside Zone
- Lead / Zorro
- Split-Flow
- Crack-Toss/Seal
- Zone Insert
Gap
- Counter
- Long-Trap
- Duo
That approach is where McDaniel’s maniacal attention to technique detail starts to make sense. He is not piling new footwork onto players every time he adds a scheme, he wants to keep things simple at a granular level. He wants his players to master a small menu of techniques to allow him to be expansive with the confidence that he can rely on those fundamentals to use a foundation. He is teaching one family of steps and then attaching new jobs to it.
“I have always seen football as an execution of technique and fundamentals. The job is to create and nucleus of techniques and fundamentals that are tried and true. Staying connected to that whilst being able to keep defenses off kilter with nuanced movement pre-snap and different types of schemes to really glorify those techniques and fundamentals.”
Mike McDaniel on the Chargers Weekly
Linemen learn how to reach and climb with the same posture across multiple calls. Tight ends rehearse the same slice path before being told whether to kick, wrap, or bluff. Backs live on a single press-and-read progression that works for every variation. The concepts multiply but the rules stay small; the complexity lives in how pieces are recombined, not in what players are asked to remember. This modular philosophy is why the run game can keep expanding while still opening with the same calm, familiar first seconds snap after snap.
Run-game objectives
The Chargers’ new offensive coordinator will look to completely revamp their run game from the ground up with a view towards his main-stay objectives:
- Preserve wide-zone threats so edges stay honest
- Increase downhill entry points through the A and B gaps
- Use motion to widen fits before hitting vertically
- Blend pullers and inserts without changing the pre-snap picture
The most visible schematic shift will be a heavier diet of gap mechanics layered into the same Zone families McDaniel already teaches. Counter will appear with jet sweep action opposite it. Power will come from split-flow looks that used to scream bootleg. Duo will be dressed up with orbit motion so safeties widen while double teams climb inside. The offense will stop asking the defense only to chase and start asking it to absorb force in confined spaces.
Where McDaniel’s world meets Harbaugh’s
What makes the pairing of Mike McDaniel and Jim Harbaugh so interesting is that McDaniel will not be asked to abandon his Zone foundations and Harbaugh will not accept a run game that forgoes the physical nature of football to live purely on perimeter leverage. The schematic adaptation should meet somewhere in the middle to allow both philosophies to coexist because they absolutely can. McDaniel will widen the edges and distort fits the way he always has, but the interior of the run game will likely grow heavier, more vertical and more confrontational. Harbaugh’s influence will push the offense toward controlling fronts rather than merely stressing them and Hampton’s profile fits neatly into that direction.
“I think that’s a perfect fit, ironically, because that’s how I see football won and lost down the stretch of seasons; through the techniques and fundamentals. Much of which are tied to the type of offenses that you’re used to seeing succeed with Coach Harbaugh.”
Mike McDaniel on the Chargers Weekly
The continuity from McDaniel’s background will be to focus on multiplicity without tells but I see the Power element of a Harbaugh team changing what happens after the snap . The same condensed formations and motion that once set up outside zone will now precede Power, Counter and Duo schemes. Defenses will still see elements like jet motion, insert and split flow, but instead of the ball racing to the perimeter every time, it will fold back inside behind a pulling guard or a wrapping tight end. McDaniel will keep linebackers flowing sideways while the actual point of attack hits downhill, creating violent contrast between what the defense is being shown and where it is being struck.
Omarion Hampton
Omarion Hampton’s rookie season didn’t exactly go to plan. The team lost the veteran who was tasked with affording him an easy transition to the NFL, to a season ending injury. Then Hampton himself went down with an ankle injury that was worse than initially feared and it kept him out for 10 weeks. However he showed flashes of why the Chargers chose to invest such a high pick on him both before and after his injury, his game against the Giants in particular showcased his athletic talents. To earn 4.4 yards per carry and the 8th best rushing grade according to PFF, behind the 32nd ranked run blocking unit, is no mean feat. When you combine the metrics with the eye test it’s clear that the Chargers should be looking to build a run game that can make the most of out of his talents.
Hampton’s profile suggests he could function effectively in Mike McDaniel’s wide-zone based run game, even if he is not a tailor-made prototype for it. Hampton’s contact balance, patience behind the line, and ability to sift laterally through congestion fit the core requirements of a zone runner, where backs are asked to stretch plays horizontally before decisively planting and attacking cutback lanes. His vision shows up when blocks develop late, and that trait is vital in McDaniel’s system, which depends on runners reading leverage rather than charging predetermined gaps.
That said, it is not an ideal marriage of skills and scheme. Hampton, Harbaugh and McDaniel will need to be honest with themselves about that to avoid trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Where the fit becomes less fluid will be found in the premium McDaniel places on sudden acceleration and edge speed. His most successful runners have typically stressed defenses with quick bursts once lanes appear, while Hampton is more of a long-striding, physical back who wins through toughness and efficiency rather than explosive acceleration and quick footwork.
Omarion is not a pure stretch runner who looks to benefit space to manufacture creases. He runs with a square base, accelerates through contact, and stays balanced when linebackers meet him in the hole. His profile is ideal for Duo and Power, where the back must read double teams, press the interior, and explode vertically once the linebacker commits. Hampton’s contact balance will turn four-yard creases into seven, which is exactly what makes gap schemes demoralizing over four quarters. He is not a perfect wide-zone prototype, but in a blended Harbaugh-McDaniel world he can becomes something closer to his ideal.
His best snaps came when he could either use his elite mix of power and speed to cut off his back foot and explode through contact but to reach that potential in this scheme, both his processing and his footwork will need to speed up to be an elite Zone runner. I see McDaniel welcoming the challenge of expanding his run game playbook to embrace the Gap-based world that Harbaugh has lived in for the past four decades, in order to acclimatize Hampton to the more fluid world of Zone reads. He could do this by running adaptations on his originals:
- Power from light personnel in condensed sets with Sift motions to split the front.
- Duo paired with perimeter motion to tie into play-action looks.
- Pin-pull concepts dressed like Crack-Toss where the gap exchanges replace the need for perimeter lead blocks.
This is where Harbaugh’s preferences matter. His offenses have always wanted to dictate terms to the front rather than simply manipulate it. McDaniel will still care about leverage, but Harbaugh will care about displacement. Together that will produce a run game that can win when the box is light and when it is crowded, one that can punish two-high structures not only with cutbacks and boots but by driving the ball directly through them.
Omarion Hampton fits this direction almost perfectly.
Why Hampton works in this blend
McDaniel will still use him on Outside Zone and Crack Toss/Seal because that threat is what stretches the front in the first place, but the emphasis will shift toward letting Hampton close the play by finishing runs between the hash marks. The wide runs will soften edges and the gap runs will cash in once linebackers widen and safeties hesitate. Hampton has the right traits for this kind of blend; he has the downhill temperament for Power and Duo, the detail to fully press the point of attack before cutting in Zone, and the athleticism to punish bad angles and break arm tackles once he is on the move.
There is also a sequencing effect here that feeds directly into the evolved pass game we discussed earlier. A heavier interior run presence forces safeties to trigger downhill with more urgency. When duo and power start producing creases, those second-level defenders stop hovering and start stepping. That will reopen the very vertical windows McDaniel wants Herbert to attack off play action, particularly Slot Seams and Bang/Drift concepts that develop behind flowing linebackers.
I-Formation
“I still see myself very rooted in those techniques and fundamentals that you’re expressing when your offensive starting point is the I-Formation under center. It’s still how we teach this offense.”
Mike McDaniel on the Chargers Weekly
One of the methods by which the Chargers’ new brain trust can look to merge their two worlds will be to lean into the I-formation which is very much in the middle of the Venn diagram of Harbaugh and McDaniel. If you looked at a Dolphins’ roster last season and compared it to the Chargers’ it would be confusing to see that they used almost the same amount of snaps with a fullback on the field (Chargers: 347 to Dolphins: 365). McDaniel may not be from the Power world but he has described how he teaches his offense from a very similar perspective:
Mike likes to operate from the I-Formation Under-Center looks because it naturally stresses defenses in the exact ways he wants to. They are typically run from condensed formations and can be easily paired with heavy motion and split-flow action from tight ends or fullbacks. These components work to force linebackers to hesitate while the offensive line stretches the front horizontally. The downhill threat of the I-formation keeps second-level defenders honest, while bootlegs and play-action off the same tracks punish overcommitted safeties.
The last time the Chargers ran an offense of this nature was when LaDainian Tomlinson and Lorenzo Neal were in the backfield. Marty Schottenheimer’s Zone scheme was based out of I-Formation two decades ago and now, as with all things, history is repeat itself with the meta of the league shifting towards finding new ways to run the ball that are both fast and powerful. McDaniel has been at the vanguard of the innovation that has driven this movement so I expect him to recognize the opportunity that the Chargers’ offensive roster presents him with. Omarion Hampton holds the closest skill set the Bolts have had to Tomlinson’s and I think McDaniels will look to embrace a run game built on those foundations.
Hampton would fit that version of the I-formation fairly well because of his patience, durability, and comfort pressing the line of scrimmage before choosing a crease. Running behind a lead blocker suits his physical style, allowing him to build momentum and punish arm tackles once he clears the first wave. This extra space will give him a chance to take advantage when McDaniel’s split-flow designs create late-developing cutback lanes. He is not the most sudden accelerator, which matters less in under-center downhill concepts than in pure perimeter wide zone, and his reliability in pass protection would help him stay on the field when McDaniel layers play-action off those same looks.
Other positions
Fullback
If they do choose to go down this path then acquiring a fullback such as Alec Ingold, or a player to his equivalent skill set, becomes imperative. Bobby Slowik, the Dolphins’ new offensive coordinator, has made use of fullbacks but they are not a key component in his run game and the Dolphins’ cap issues there is an opportunity to extract a talented play who plays an undervalued position, for a very reasonable cost.
Offensive Tackles
Mike McDaniel’s offenses should look to weaponize their best players and there are two All-Pro caliber players who play the same position on offense. Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt by using them as moving pieces rather than static edge setters. McDaniel’s run game lives on wide-zone stress, condensed formations and motion that forces defensive ends to hesitate. Both of the Chargers’ Tackles are built for that environment; Slater’s quick feet and hunger for leverage control make him a natural reach blocker who can consistently seal the edge and climb to linebackers. While Alt’s length and smooth change of direction allow him to overtake defenders and widen lanes even when the front is flowing hard outside. By pairing each with athletic interior linemen on combo blocks and emphasizing tempo and repetition, Los Angeles could let its tackles dictate angles instead of fighting power at the line of scrimmage.
Quarterback
An under-center I-formation attack could dramatically expand Justin Herbert’s play-action game by forcing defenses to respect downhill run action and condensed spacing, which naturally slows edge rushers and freezes second-level defenders. With a true fullback (who also poses an actual receiving threat) leading through the hole and backs pressing interior gaps, linebackers are compelled to step forward and safeties are forced to trigger downhill, creating cleaner throwing windows behind them on deep crossers, posts and Bang/Drift routes that Herbert throws exceptionally well.
Turning Herbert’s back to the defense on hard run fakes also lengthens protection angles and disrupts pressure timing, while marrying those looks to bootlegs and half-rolls would give him defined reads and high-low concepts without sacrificing his arm talent. The result is a passing game built on rhythm and explosive shots rather than constant drop-back volume, allowing Herbert to punish aggressive fronts while operating from a calmer, more controlled pocket structure.
Conclusion
This partnership is unlikely to reshape either Mike McDaniel or Jim Harbaugh into something they are not. Instead, the Chargers’ run game should evolve into a hybrid of the two worlds. The perimeter stress and motion that define McDaniel’s system will remain as the core intention but they will now be paired with a heavier interior presence built around Power football. McDaniel creates horizontal stretch and post-snap confusion. Harbaugh emphasizes displacement and finishing runs between the tackles. Together, they can attack light boxes with patience and punish crowded fronts with force, using the same formations and motions to disguise when the ball is headed downhill.
“Solving different problems affords you different sorts of solutions. Ultimately, our Chargers offense will look different than any offense I’ve coached before or any offense in the league.”
Mike McDaniel on joining a team with a different personnel grouping
Omarion Hampton fits that direction. He is not a perfect wide-zone prototype but in the structural crossover between Power and Zone, his natural run style can bring a physical element McDaniel can weaponize towards the next iteration of his constant evolution.
Why NFL Analysts Believe Omarion Hampton Will Have Breakout Year With Mike McDaniel’s Offense https://share.google/SNqOvQCYJuxAMYjYE
The only thing that can stop Hampton from being one of the top-3 RBs in the NFL in 2026 is injury. If he’s mostly healthy, he’s going to have an amazing season.
My hope is that Hortiz builds some depth & Mike saves Omarion’s body for the playoffs. I would be happy with Hampton getting 15-20 touches, with Vidal and/or 3rd RB getting 10-15.
This made me interested enough to look up Miami’s offense under McDaniel.
2025 (17 games):
416 designed runs: QB 31 (16 scrambles), HB 378, FB 2, WR 19, TE 279 receptions for HBs = 26.9 HB touches per game
2024 (17 games):
422 designed runs: QB 46 (25 scrambles), HB 372, FB 10, WR 17, TE 2103 receptions for HBs = 27.9 HB touches per game
2023 (18 games):
454 designed runs: QB 46 (19 scrambles), HB 409, FB 2, WR 16, TE 088 receptions for HBs = 27.6 HB touches per game
2022 (18 games):
388 designed runs: QB 43 (20 scrambles), HB 344, FB 6, WR 14 (1 scramble), TE 262 receptions for HBs = 22.6 HB touches per game
Miami added Achane in 2023, which is presumably the primary reason HB touches jumped up and stayed higher in 2023-2025.
Expecting the Chargers defense to be better than Miami’s defenses, and with a strong RB1 and RB2, I could see landing on the high end of HB touches, around 28 per game.
Barring injuries, probably 15-19 per game for Hampton, 7-12 for Vidal, and 1-2 for others.
I think the number of touches is reasonable.
My belief is that the Chargers are going to be much better in the playoffs with a fresh Hampton. My hope is that they keep Omarion on a pitch count during the regular season so they roll into the playoffs with a healthy running game.
I’ve read various opinions on Vidal’s fit with McDaniels offense. My opinion is that he’s going to be very good. I just looked up Kimani’s RAS:8.69
I don’t think the size matters much & think the explosion and speed, which we’ve seen in spirts over the last 2 years, will shine in 2026.
I think Hampton is clearly RB1 and I expect great things from him. I also think the Chargers running game and Vidal will be very good in 2026.
Ryan,
Another fantastic write up showing and explaining the rushing scheme and how it operates. I would say that just because it is a zone based scheme, doesn’t mean it cant be a physical, punishing style. It might not be the typical, physical between the tackles, smashmouth style that Harbaugh likes, but I can tell you that any successful rushing attack can be punishing when it is working over and over again. Those hits from linemen on the move, take their toll being run 20-30 times a game. I would compare Hampton closer to Terrell Davis, who thrived in this scheme, rather than LT. He was more of a between the tackles, power runner at Georgia, but was able to translate that power into a zone scheme with his vision and burst, which Hampton has. I believe it is actually easier to transition from power to zone than the other way around. A bigger bodied HB can succeed in zone, but a smaller HB like Achane could not be a regular gap scheme runner, so I think Hampton will be able to transition schemes just fine.
I have been clamoring for a new FB since last year. The Matlock experiment was fun to roll out once or twice a game, like teams do in goal line packages with DT, but having him on the field was a complete zero in the passing game, and more than not telegraphed it was a run play. I wonder if Hassan Haskins could transition to fullback? He is pretty much the size McDaniel likes and he has already been around for 2 years, is a Harbaugh guy and has ST flex. He is a UFA, but I don’t think it would take much to sign him back. Just a thought in case Ingold isn’t available or the price gets to high.
Anyway, great job on another informative article breaking down some of the tendencies of the new offensive scheme. I always enjoy these reads.
Erick my dude, I’ve been meaning to get back to both your comments! I appreciate the positive feedback too. I wanted to pick up on a few things from this one:
1. I’m a bit too young to know the type of player TD was, especially at college but when I was doing my research into the Shanahan system I saw how he was seen as the poster boy for a zone runner.
2. I definitely agree on how he could convert his power to that of a back when he’s hitting the outside or B gaps I just have a concern how his footwork can develop on cutbacks, he can absolutely change direction though, I love his efficiency on counters so I’d like to hope he can translate to quick high-mechnics cuts with a full off-season to work with.
3. I’ve seen the Haskins conversion idea and I have to say I’m not a fan. Maybe in a gap scheme but he does not have the speed or agility to work in Mcdaniel’s system. The stuff you see from Ingold/Juszczyk is in another league. Even someone like a Stevo Koltz would be a better fit if he is still in the NFL. I’d overpay for Ingold big time, he’s that important to the scheme.
All the best dude and hopefully I’ll get to your other awesome comment soon.
Thanks Ryan. I do not like the idea of Haskins transitioning either, but Harbaugh has shown he is willing to experiment on position changes to keep guys he likes in the fold and especially at FB. Looking to have some more great discussions as the offseason wears on.
I don’t think Haskins will return as FB but rather as RB3 behind Hampton and Vidal. Or RB4 if McDaniel chooses to keep 4 RBs on the active roster. Reasons:
He is a “core four” special teams player, playing on both return units and both coverage units.He had the 2nd highest PFF special teams grade (80.5) among 65 graded Chargers special teams players in the 2025 season.That followed having the 8th best Chargers special teams grade (70.6) and playing the 4th highest number of special teams snaps on the team in 2024.He just turned 26.He played for Harbaugh at Michigan.He can likely be signed to a one year contract at veteran minimum salary, which for him would be for $1.145M.
Seems like an easy call to me.
Nice article, Ryan. I can fairly easily see both Hampton and Vidal thriving in this system….without Matlock.