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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…


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Publish date : 2024-09-17 21:37:01

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