Why Jim Harbaugh makes the Chargers a legitimate Super Bowl contender

Jim Harbaugh might be working some of his first-year magic again.

The Los Angeles Chargers improved to 2-0 on Sunday. They demolished the Carolina Panthers 26-3, a week after getting a decisive 22-10 home win over the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s the first time the Chargers have opened a season 2-0 since 2012.

Beyond the hot start, the Chargers look vastly improved from last season. They’re ninth in the league in points per play (0.403) through the first two weeks, a stat that they ranked 23rd in last season. Defensively, they’ve allowed the fewest points (6.5 per game) and second-fewest yards (227.5 per game) to open the season. They ranked 24th and 28th, respectively, in those categories last year.

It’s only been two games and the Chargers haven’t faced the stiffest competition yet. Even so, Colin Cowherd is all-in on what Harbaugh is building in Los Angeles, saying “a lot of what they have now are what really good Super Bowl teams have.”

“It’s amazing that the Chargers, with essentially the same defensive personnel, have gone from the worst defense in the league with Brandon Staley, to now the No. 1 scoring defense with Jim Harbaugh,” Cowherd said on “The Herd.” “Also, what is really exciting, because there are a lot of components here: Joe Alt looks like a home run at right tackle. Two elite pass rushers, two elite tackles. Quentin Johnston, who was a bust, right? We thought he was a first-round receiver bust. No, he’s not. Big, 6-foot-4 track guy.

“Now, you’ve got an ‘A-plus’ head coach, ‘A’ quarterback, ‘A’ tackles, ‘A’ pass rushers and J.K. Dobbins looks like the Ohio State J.K. Dobbins, flipping into the end zone.”

J.K. Dobbins leads the NFL in rushing through two weeks. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

As Cowherd alluded to, the Chargers are getting contributions from several players in the early stages of the season. Dobbins leads the league in rushing with 266 yards on a whopping 9.9 yards per carry after tearing his Achilles last season. Johnston hauled in two receiving touchdowns in the win against the Panthers, matching the total he had as a struggling rookie last season. Alt, whom the Chargers drafted with the fifth pick, has allowed just two pressures so far this season, per Pro Football Focus. Left tackle Rashawn Slater has given up just one pressure, according to PFF.

Defensively, Joey Bosa already has two sacks while Khalil Mack has 1.5. As a team, the Chargers have forced four turnovers already this season, which is tied for the fourth-most in the league.

That’s all without mentioning their star quarterback. Justin Herbert hasn’t had to do much at this point, throwing for only 274 yards through the first two games. Cowherd credited Harbaugh for taking pressure off Herbert to succeed after the team heavily relied on him to win games in his first four seasons in the league.

“Now here’s Justin Herbert. It’s so predictable, like Andrew Luck at Stanford with Harbaugh, mostly managing the game, not throwing the ball a ton,” Cowherd said. “In fact, he had under 30 throws in the first two games. That’s something that’s never before happened in his career, back-to-back games under 30 throws.

“But what Jim Harbaugh is, is the NFL’s cold press. He will extract every bit of talent out of your organization. It’s the same defense, but now it’s the No. 1 scoring defense.”

Herd Hierarchy: Chargers leap to Top 3, Saints join, 49ers drop in Week 3’s Top 10

As Cowherd sang Harbaugh’s praises through his 2-0 start, the Chargers coach has a track record of turning things around at his previous stops. The San Francisco 49ers went from a six-win team to a 13-win team in Harbaugh’s first season, reaching the NFC title game. Michigan went from a five-win team to a 10-win team in Harbaugh’s first year back in Ann Arbor.

Harbaugh has already gotten quick results from Chargers team that won five games in 2023. However, Cowherd argued that he and Los Angeles are capable of more than that.

“That’s a real offense. If you’re going to beat the Chiefs, that’s how to do it,” Cowherd said. “Elite tackles, [other team] can’t get a pass rush. Elite run game, takes the ball way from [Patrick] Mahomes. Over-the-top receiver and rush ends that can put pressure on Patrick. That’s the way to beat them.”

Harbaugh’s Chargers will soon get the opportunity to see if they can compete with the two-time defending champions. Los Angeles hosts Kansas City in Week 4, which could determine who sits in first place in the AFC West for at least the early part of the season.

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