Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert, and the Los Angeles Chargers found reason to celebrate in their locker room after securing a playoff berth with an impressive 40-7 win against the New England Patriots on Saturday.
Despite achieving this significant milestone, Harbaugh kept the team’s focus directed towards future challenges by emphasizing that “there’s more to do.”
Now with a record of 10-6, the Chargers enter their final regular-season game against the Las Vegas Raiders, assured of at least the sixth seed in the AFC, which allows them to avoid playing the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round.
Currently, the Chargers are poised to face the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch dubbed the Harbaugh Bowl, although there is a slim chance they could ascend to the fifth seed, depending on the outcome of the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh matchup next week.
Harbaugh acknowledged the remarkable turnaround from only five wins last season to ten wins this year, attributing much of the success to both his players and the efforts of first-year general manager, Joe Hortiz.
Herbert, meanwhile, highlighted the great job both Harbaugh and Hortiz have done in building the right team dynamic, saying, “You look in the locker room and everybody plays for each other.”
He acknowledged Harbaugh’s competitive nature, noting how it inspires the players to work hard for him.
Making history, Harbaugh has become the fifth coach in NFL history to achieve at least ten victories in his first seasons with two different teams and the eighth to reach the playoffs in their first year with two teams.
“It has very little to do with me. If it goes right, then it’s our players. They’re doing a great job. It’s gone bad a couple times, and that’s on me,” he remarked.
He expressed immense gratitude to key players like Derwin James and Justin Herbert, acknowledging them as integral parts of the team’s success.
Despite their mixed record of 3-5 against teams with winning records, the Chargers have excelled in matches against teams with losing records, holding a 7-1 record in such encounters.
Remarkably, they have won four of these games by a margin of 17 points or more, a feat not seen since 2017.
Since halftime of their December 19 clash against Denver, they have outscored their opponents (the Broncos and Patriots) 61-13 over the last six quarters.
“That’s the type of football we want to be playing in December, January, and hopefully beyond. It was great to see,” Herbert stated.
Regarding their performance, offensive coordinator Greg Roman noted that limited long drives hindered their full playbook usage. Coming into Saturday’s game, the Chargers ranked 26th with only 23 possessions of 10 plays or more, but they achieved four against the Patriots, resulting in three touchdowns and a field goal.
It marked their first time with four drives of at least 10 plays since Week 10 of the previous season.
On the downside, the Chargers’ kickoff return coverage needs improvement, having allowed nine returns of at least 30 yards, ranking eighth in the league. New England’s Alex Erickson notably had three returns for 90 yards in the game.
Your biggest positives were running back J.K. Dobbins, who was activated off injured reserve, producing a solid performance with 76 yards on 19 carries and scoring a touchdown.
Dobbins set career highs in both rushing yards (842) and scrimmage yards (983) during his inaugural season with the Chargers after overcoming a knee injury.
On the downside, wide receiver D.J. Chark was targeted four times but failed to register a catch. Signed this offseason to add experience and speed to the receiving corps, Chark has struggled this season after missing the first half with a hip issue, having logged just three receptions thus far.
In terms of injury updates, three starters were inactive: running back Gus Edwards (ankle), linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin), and offensive guard Trey Pipkins (hip).
Additionally, wide receiver Joshua Palmer (heel) and defensive back Elijah Molden (shin) sustained injuries later in the second half.
Key statistics from the game included Ladd McConkey, who set rookie records for receptions and receiving yards with 77 and 1,054, respectively.
Quarterback Justin Herbert also achieved a remarkable milestone, making it five consecutive seasons with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdowns, placing him alongside legends Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson for such an achievement to start a career.
Another notable performance came from safety Derwin James Jr., who recorded two sacks against the Patriots—marking the first time in his seven-year career he achieved this feat in a single game.
Looking ahead, the Chargers aim to secure their first season sweep of the Raiders since 2018 in the upcoming regular-season finale.
