A fresh haircut wasn’t the only thing making coach Jim Harbaugh feel good on Monday.
His Los Angeles Chargers are 5-3 at the halfway point of the season and hold the AFC’s sixth playoff spot after their 27-10 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
After being 2-2 going into the bye week, the Chargers have now won three of their last four games, including two straight victories by at least 17 points. They’re playing their best football of the season.
The biggest reason for the Chargers’ turnaround has been something Harbaugh has emphasized since he became head coach on January 24 — mental toughness.
Justin Herbert was sacked six times in the first half against the Browns, but Los Angeles still had a 20-3 lead at halftime. Herbert connected on a couple of big passes, and the defense allowed just 57 yards while getting four sacks.
“We didn’t get discouraged or get emotionally hijacked when something didn’t go right and then kept working. Fortune favors those who press on,” Harbaugh said.
While the offense has been finding its rhythm over the past three weeks, the defense has been one of the best in the league all season.
Los Angeles is allowing just 12.6 points per game, the fewest in the league. They’re also the sixth team since 1990, and the first since the 2019 New England Patriots, to allow 20 or fewer points in the first eight games of a season.
Jesse Minter’s defense has forced opposing teams to go three-and-out on 28.9% of possessions, the second-highest rate in the league. Under Brandon Staley, the Chargers’ defense had a rate of 19.6% during his nearly three seasons as head coach, when he also called the defensive plays.
“The pass rush and the coverage is really complementary. Sometimes when we aren’t quite getting there with the pass rush, the secondary is extra tight,” Harbaugh said.
