LOS ANGELES — Only Patrick Mahomes threw for more yards this season than Justin Herbert, who finished tied for second in the NFL in game-winning drives.

It's little wonder then why Kellen Moore's introductory news conference as the Chargers' offensive coordinator Wednesday featured numerous questions about the team's franchise quarterback.

Still, even with Herbert's production to date and yet-unfulfilled potential entering his fourth NFL season, the biggest story for Moore is rooted on the ground.

If healthy, Herbert should continue to set records and carry this offense. But how the Chargers run the ball in 2023 will more greatly impact the overall success of their reimagined scheme.

"It's something that will take the whole process to go through," Moore said. "By no means are you going to walk in and say, 'I have all the answers here. Let's go.' "

Hired Monday about 15 hours after he and the Dallas Cowboys officially parted ways, Moore met with the media via video conference during a preplanned family vacation that included a stop at nearby Disneyland.

He gushed over Herbert, praised coach Brandon Staley and used the word "excited" almost too many times to count.

Moore said he and Staley didn't know each other well before the Chargers and Cowboys conducted joint practices in Costa Mesa in August. He said the two of them then often exchanged text messages during the season.

Moore also joked about the television commercial he shot last summer with Herbert for a local auto dealership in Oregon.

"It's amazing," he said, "how life can come full circle here on you."

...continued

©2023 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.