Los Angeles Chargers

It's not a secret that Jim Harbaugh is one of the most unique characters in all of sports, but Justin Herbert relayed a story about his head coach that added to the lore.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Herbert said he realized Harbaugh was different when he told him the story about remembering the day he was born and including specific details about what he saw.

QB Justin Herbert on the moment he realized Harbaugh was different: "I think when he talked about remembering the day he was born."

"He told us the whole story and he remembered looking out the window. And I think it was a cold snowy day. I really hope he does remember that." pic.twitter.com/OpJEIwzrKu

— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) January 7, 2025

Harbaugh was born on Dec. 23, 1963, in Toledo, Ohio, near where his father was working as an assistant coach for the Perrysburg High School football team.

Per Extreme Weather Watch, the forecast in Toledo on Harbaugh's birthday included a high temperature of 28 degrees and 0.4 inches of snow.

Based on the story that Herbert relayed, Harbaugh's description of what it looked like outside is accurate. It's not exactly going out on a limb to say that it was cold and snowy in the midwest in late-December, but there was a three-day stretch earlier in the month when the temps were above 40 degrees.

For most human beings, it's a struggle to remember what you did yesterday because of how quickly things happen and the deluge of news that happens on a daily basis.

Harbaugh doesn't fall into the category of most human beings. He's a coach who joined his players running sprints when he was first hired as San Diego's head coach in 2004.

"He was full speed up the hill, turned to the left, threw up, got a little bit on his windbreaker on his shoulder and his arm, never broke stride, never said anything about it," former Toreros defensive end Eric Bakhtiari told ESPN's Kris Rhim. "He acted like nothing happened. It was like the vomit was an inconvenience to his goal."

If Harbaugh were in charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and could build a new food pyramid, it would only consist of milk, water and steak.

"I truly believe the No. 1 natural steroid is sleep and the No. 2 natural steroid is milk, whole milk, and three would be water," he once said in 2015. "Four would be steak."

For all of his eccentricities, Harbaugh has been wildly successful wherever he's been. The 61-year-old has only had three losing seasons in 21 years as a head coach between college and the NFL.

Harbaugh took over a Chargers team that finished 5-12 and had the No. 24 scoring defense in the NFL last season. They made the playoffs this year with an 11-6 record and the best scoring defense in the league.

The Chargers are looking for their first playoff win since the 2018 season when they take on the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card round on Saturday at NRG Stadium.

Ezekiel Elliott's desire to land with a playoff contender for the remainder of this season has paid off after reportedly agreeing to a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the 29-year-old will sign with the Chargers to provide depth in the backfield.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted it was a deal to join the practice squad:

The #Chargers are signing RB Zeke Elliott to their practice squad, source said, with the hope that the former #Cowboys back gets up to speed quickly. pic.twitter.com/LPj9t4oBtu

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 7, 2025

According to Schultz, Elliott had interest from "several playoff teams" but preferred the fit with the Chargers.

After spending the first 16 weeks of the regular season with the Dallas Cowboys, he was surprisingly released by the club on Dec. 31.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones explained the move was made to give Elliott the opportunity to sign with a playoff team:

"Out of respect and appreciation for Zeke and wanting to provide him with an opportunity to pursue any potential playoff participation possible, we are releasing him from the Cowboys roster today. As I have said many times previously, Zeke's impact as one of the greatest to ever play with the Star on their helmet will never change and is etched in our record books and history forever. We thank him, love him and wish him the absolute best."

The Cowboys brought Elliott back by signing him to a one-year deal in the offseason. He was originally drafted by the team in 2016 and spent eight years with the club before being released following the 2022 season.

After a one-year stint with the New England Patriots in 2023, he returned to Dallas as the backup to Rico Dowdle. The three-time Pro Bowler had 74 carries for 226 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games for the Cowboys prior to his release.

Elliott's primary value at this stage of his career comes as a blocker in passing situations. He's also a capable receiver on checkdowns.

Even though the overall impact that he can have for a team right now is minimal, there are plenty of teams that have protection issues who could use someone with his skill as a pass-blocker.

Los Angeles could look to utilize Elliott in third-down situations in the playoffs or perhaps to give J.K. Dobbins and Hassan Haskins a breather if needed.

Sixth-year Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James had high praise for Jim Harbaugh in his first season with the team, crediting him for instilling a strong culture within the Chargers organization.

"He gave us a culture," James told reporters, per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. "We know who we are when we look in the mirror. I feel like we're building that team that nobody wants to play. We don't have to rah-rah or go talk on Twitter. We're just going to continue to show how we play week in and week out. We're doing a great job with coach Harbaugh leading us."

In his first year, Harbaugh has led the team to a 10-6 record and secured a wild card spot, a significant turnaround from their 5-12 finish just one year ago.

Quarterback Justin Herbert echoed Derwin James' sentiments about the culture Harbaugh has fostered in the locker room this season.

"They have done such a great job of getting the right guys here. You look in the locker room and everybody plays for each other," Herbert told reporters post game, according to the Associated Press. "(Harbaugh's) a competitor, and he wants to win no matter what it is. It definitely shows, and it's the way everyone fights for him, wants to play for him, and respects him."

Harbaugh downplayed the sentiment from two of his star-players.

"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. That's on me," Harbaugh said, per the Associated Press. "I've been drinking the Kool-Aid here from day one, I can't give enough credit to Derwin James, Justin Herbert, and those two in particular."

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh didn't want to take credit for the team's success in his first year with the organization.

"Very little to do with me," Harbaugh told reporters on Saturday, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "If it goes right, then it's our players. They're doing a great job. It's gone bad a couple times. That's on me."

The Chargers improved to 10-6 with a dominant 40-7 win over the New England Patriots, clinching a playoff appearance after missing the postseason in 2023.

After winning a national championship with Michigan during the school's 2023 campaign, Harbaugh signed a five-year deal to become Los Angeles' next head coach on Jan. 24.

The Chargers made the playoffs during the 2022 season, but they fell far below expectations with a 5-12 finish in 2023 that saw the firing of head coach Brandon Staley before the year came to a close.

While Harbaugh may not be willing to take responsibility for Los Angeles' resurgent season, it's easy to see the impact he's had on the team.

The Chargers' 2022 playoff run was fueled by a high-powered passing attack led by Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert. Even though Herbert has remained efficient in 2024, Los Angeles' defense has been stout throughout the course of the regular season.

Harbaugh's team has allowed a mere 17.6 points per game this year, which represents the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL. The Chargers have also racked up 46 sacks, tied for the fourth-highest amount in the league.

Bosa and Mack sack attack.

📺: #LACvsNE on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/MsMZlS9mPP

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2024

The 61-year-old has some familiarity with instant success, as the San Francisco 49ers finished with a 13-3 record and advanced to the NFC Championship Game during his first year as a head coach in 2011.

The Chargers will hope that Harbaugh can continue to bring a similar level of postseason prosperity, as they'll now have an opportunity to win their first playoff game since 2018.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh secured a $1 million playoff bonus on Saturday after the Los Angeles Chargers clinched a wild-card spot with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter:

By clinching a wild-card spot today, Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh collects a $1 million playoff bonus in his contract. pic.twitter.com/28XCURQYWp

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 28, 2024

It will be their first playoff appearance since 2022, when they lost 31-30 in the wild-card round to the Jacksonville Jaguars, after missing the postseason last year.

Harbaugh's bonus is well deserved, as he is the first coach in the Super Bowl era to take over two teams with losing records from the previous year and lead them to the playoffs in his first season, per the Associated Press' Josh Dubow. His other team was the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, who lost in the conference championship to the New Orleans Saints.

The former Wolverines coach has also made the playoffs four times in five seasons as an NFL coach, joining five other coaches who have reached the playoffs at least 80 percent of the time, including John Madden, per Dubow:

Jim Harbaugh has made the playoffs 4 times in 5 seasons as an NFL coach. Only other coaches in Super Bowl to make playoffs at least 80% of time (4+ seasons):
Nick Sirianni 100% (4 of 4)
Sean McDermott 87.5% (7 of 8)
Tony Dungy 84.6% (11 of 13)
Matt LaFleur 83.3% (5 of 6)
John…

— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) December 28, 2024

In Harbaugh's first season with the Chargers and his first back in the NFL since 2014, when he was head coach of the 49ers, he has guided the team to a 10-6 record with one game remaining.

Before spending four years in San Francisco, Harbaugh revitalized the Stanford Cardinal, improving their record from 4-8 in his first season to 12-1 in his final year. He also led them to a 40-12 victory over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

Harbaugh and the Chargers are focused on securing the franchise's first playoff win since 2018. Before that, they will close out their season against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Los Angeles Chargers cruised past the host New England Patriots 40-7 en route to clinch a playoff berth on Saturday.

The dominant performance cemented a tremendous one-season turnaround under first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh, who's worked his magic in college stops (San Diego, Stanford, Michigan) and the pros (San Francisco 49ers) before heading to L.A. from Ann Arbor and doing the same again.

The Bolts went 5-12 last year but have doubled their win total with one game to go under Harbaugh, whose efforts should have him under consideration for Coach of the Year.

As for Saturday, L.A. entered the afternoon in position to make the playoffs with a win, and the Bolts left no doubt in a rout.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert completed 26-of-38 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns. He's now No. 1 all-time in passing yards among quarterbacks in their first five seasons.

seems pretty good pic.twitter.com/M0xxcc5lwG

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 28, 2024

He connected with Derius Davis for a 23-yard touchdown in the first quarter to cap a 91-yard drive before finding rookie wideout Ladd McConkey for six-yard and 40-yard touchdowns in the second and third quarters, respectively.

you love to see it

📺 | @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/L7e9GuNjzp

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 28, 2024

laser.

📺 | @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/mwheMqcRyh

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 28, 2024

The latter McConkey score finished off a 10-play, 94-yard drive that effectively put the game away and gave L.A. a 27-7 lead.

HERBO 40 YARDS TO LADD

📺 | @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/b0UUH3SSNe

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 28, 2024

McConkey had eight receptions for 94 yards and became the franchise's rookie receiving leader in the process.

Ladd McConkey sets a new @Chargers rookie receiving record, breaking Keenan Allen's yardage from 2013.

📺: #LACvsNE on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/dUSJNVFPdS

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2024

This was a thorough beatdown from start to finish. L.A. opened a 20-7 halftime lead, and it felt as though the Chargers could have been up even more.

Patriots-Chargers first half team stats pic.twitter.com/eFnH8iOHhB

— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) December 28, 2024

The Bolts defense dominated the Patriots.

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson notably had just one yard on two carries. Through the air, Pats rookie quarterback Drake Maye did little outside a 36-yard touchdown toss to Pop Douglas. For the day, he was 12-of-22 for 117 yards.

For the game, the Chargers outgained the Patriots 428-181. They had 29 first downs to New England's 11 and possessed the ball for 40:34.

Both teams went to the bench in the fourth quarter with the game no longer in doubt. During that frame, Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (76 rushing yards) punched one last touchdown in.

we missed this

📺 | @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/mFkp1PVXPU

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 28, 2024

In sum, it was an incredible victory for the Harbaugh-led Chargers, and fans recognized the head coach's phenomenal season most recently punctuated by this 33-point win.

The Jim Harbaugh effect pic.twitter.com/EyvSP5NDdd

— Tyler Schoon (@tylerjschoon) December 28, 2024

Playoffs on a rebuild year #BoltUp    thank you coach #Harbaugh and #Herbert pic.twitter.com/yetpD7gQL1

— eddie_graciano (@nez7won4) December 28, 2024

This “win and in” game is the type of game that the Brandon Staley Chargers would drop.

The Jim Harbaugh Chargers, have us w/ our feet up relaxing to a 30-7 shellacking, as the Chargers are 1Q away from doubling their win total from last season & clinching a playoff berth. pic.twitter.com/GdYArY6jLN

— Ryan DePaul (@RyanDePaul) December 28, 2024

Stanford with Jim Harbaugh? Great.
Stanford since then? Not great.

49ers before Jim? Not great.
49ers with Jim? Great.

Michigan before Jim? Not great.
Michigan with Jim? Great.
Michigan since then? Not great.

Chargers before Jim? Not great.
Chargers with Jim? Playoffs.

Elite.

— Sam Block (@theblockspot) December 28, 2024

Jim Harbaugh left the NFL for a decade and immediately came back with 10 wins

— Alex 👋 (@Dubs408) December 28, 2024

In a "win & get in" game the Chargers are leaving no doubt & burying the Patriots on the road. The Harbaugh way!

— Garrett Sisti (@GarrettSisti) December 28, 2024

Jim Harbaugh inherited an old roster with very few weapons and a big salary cap problem and brought them to the playoffs in his first year. The Bears weren’t interested in him though.

— Noah Phalen (@Noahp245) December 28, 2024

I couldn’t stand how high strung Harbaugh was with the 49ers but he’s always been a hell of a coach. I’m glad he’s on our side now. Chargers in the playoffs 😎#Chargers #BoltUp

— 𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓼𝓮𝓪 (@Chelsea_Nykole) December 28, 2024

Michigan Football had an unfair competitive advantage by having one of the greatest football coaches that ever lived as a head coach.

After going 5-12 last year, Jim Harbaugh has the Los Angeles Chargers in the playoffs in his first season at the helm. #GoBlue #BoltUp pic.twitter.com/MGLlhz7qMU

— Don Thomas (@REALDonThomas) December 28, 2024

Had us missing the playoffs and top 5 pick talks, yet we’re clinching the playoffs today.
HARBAUGH AND HERBO 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/2GGNnxoqSx

— HerboFC ⚡️ (@HerboFC) December 28, 2024

https://twitter.com/UMFanJosh/status/1873106812427198784

Just a quick reminder this is Jim Harbaugh’s FIRST year as HC of the Chargers. Took over a team that was 5-12 last year with 75% roster that he did not install. Jim has the Chargers qualifying for the playoffs (10-6 atm) with one game left in the season. Coaching matters and if… pic.twitter.com/k95lSwdaJO

— Eddie_King (@Friar2Bolts) December 28, 2024

Not that #BoltUp was a bad team, but, Harbaugh has worked some magic...again! Perennially underachieving team makes the playoffs in year 1.

— Zig Fracassi (@ZigSportsVoice) December 28, 2024

After a pitstop next week in Vegas, the Chargers will be back in the playoffs. A five-win team last season, Jim Harbaugh has orchestrated yet another one-year turnaround.

— Chris Hayre (@chrishayre) December 28, 2024

The Chargers close out the regular season on Sunday, Jan. 5 at the 3-12 Las Vegas Raiders.

The following weekend, they'll be on the road in the AFC Wild Card round against a to-be-determined opponent.

After missing the playoffs in 2023, the Los Angeles Chargers made a quick turnaround under first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh and will have the chance to compete for a spot in the Super Bowl once again.

The Chargers clinched a playoff berth on Saturday after defeating the host New England Patriots 40-7. Quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns, and wide receiver Ladd McConkey caught eight passes for 94 yards and two scores.

Now that Los Angeles is the latest team to earn its spot in the postseason, let's take a look at the latest NFL standings and playoff matchups.

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AFC Playoff Bracket

No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (bye)

No. 7 Denver Broncos at No. 2 Buffalo Bills

No. 6 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 3 Baltimore Ravens

No. 5 Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 4 Houston Texans

NFC Playoff Bracket

No. 1 Detroit Lions (bye)

No. 7 Washington Commanders at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles

No. 6 Green Bay Packers at No. 3 Los Angeles Rams

No. 5 Minnesota Vikings at No. 4 Atlanta Falcons

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AFC Playoff Standings

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 15-1 (clinched AFC No. 1 seed)

2. Buffalo Bills: 12-3 (clinched AFC East)

3. Baltimore Ravens: 11-5 (clinched playoff berth)

4. Houston Texans: 9-7 (clinched AFC South)

5. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-6 (clinched playoff berth)

6. Los Angeles Chargers: 10-6 (clinched playoff berth)

7. Denver Broncos: 9-6

8. Indianapolis Colts: 7-8

9. Miami Dolphins: 7-8

10. Cincinnati Bengals: 7-8

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Eliminated

11. New York Jets: 4-11

12. Cleveland Browns: 3-12

13. Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-12

14. Tennessee Titans: 3-12

15. Las Vegas Raiders: 3-12

16. New England Patriots: 3-13

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NFC Playoff Standings

1. Detroit Lions: 13-2 (clinched playoff berth)

2. Philadelphia Eagles: 12-3 (clinched playoff berth)

3. Los Angeles Rams: 9-6

4. Atlanta Falcons: 8-7

5. Minnesota Vikings: 13-2 (clinched playoff berth)

6. Green Bay Packers: 11-4 (clinched playoff berth)

7. Washington Commanders: 10-5

8. Seattle Seahawks: 9-7

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-7

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Eliminated

10. Dallas Cowboys: 7-8

11. Arizona Cardinals: 7-8

12. San Francisco 49ers: 6-9

13. New Orleans Saints: 5-10

14. Carolina Panthers: 4-11

15. Chicago Bears: 4-12

16. New York Giants: 2-13

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When Harbaugh was hired to usher in a new era for the Chargers after the failed three-year run of Brandon Staley, many expected that he would be an instant difference-maker for a team that has enough talent to be a title contender.

Herbert is one of the best young signal-callers in the NFL, but he was coming off a disappointing 2023 campaign in which he was banged up throughout the year and limited to a career-low 13 games. The 26-year-old has managed to stay healthy this year and returned to form as an efficient and accurate passer. His 21-3 touchdown to interception ratio ranks second in the NFL behind only Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson.

The most impressive thing about Herbert's bounce-back year is that he's been able to excel with a lack of star power around him. Los Angeles got rid of multiple veterans this past offseason such as running back Austin Ekeler and receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

Still, Herbert developed connections with new faces like McConkey and former Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins to help propel the offense and put the Chargers in a position to contend for the playoffs.

The path to Super Bowl LIX won't be easy in the AFC, as the back-to-back reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs are looking to achieve the first three-peat in modern NFL history while other teams like the Buffalo Bills and Ravens are motivated to knock them from their perch.

Now, the Chargers are also in the mix, and they will be trying to surprise the masses as they chase a trip to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.

The Los Angeles Chargers will activate running back J.K. Dobbins from injured reserve ahead of Saturday's game against the New England Patriots, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported on Friday that the team was "optimistic" Dobbins would return from his knee injury in time for Saturday's game.

Dobbins has missed four games since landing on IR with an MCL sprain suffered during a Week 12 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The running back is currently listed as "questionable" on the Chargers' Week 17 injury report after being limited in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday. He rejoined the team for a full Thursday practice.

Fantasy team managers should keep an eye on whether the Chargers activate Dobbins ahead of this weekend. He recorded double-digit carry totals in 10 straight games and had eight rushing touchdowns on the season prior to his injury.

Dobbins has to be activated by 4 p.m. ET on Friday in order to be eligible to play against the Patriots.

Through Week 11 he was averaging 72.6 rushing yards per game, ranking him among the NFL's top 10 backs and making him a solid fantasy pickup when healthy.

Dobbins' fantasy value could climb even further given that running back Gus Edwards has been ruled out for Saturday's game.

Edwards received a larger role in Dobbins absence, but he suffered an ankle injury during last Thursday's win over the Denver Broncos that was later aggravated in practice.

If the Chargers keep him sidelined, a sleeper pick for fantasy managers looking to add a running back this weekend could be rookie Kimani Vidal.

Vidal played a career-high 67 percent of the Chargers' offensive snaps in a Week 15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and could see that number climb higher if he is called on to take on a larger role in the backfield.

The safest bet for increased usage if Dobbins is out this weekend would be rookie wideout Ladd McConkey. Without their top back the Chargers would be likely to lean on their passing game, and McConkey leads the team with 960 receiving yards with five receiving touchdowns heading into Week 15.

The best outcome for the Chargers is that the team is able to activate a healthy Dobbins in time for what is arguably the team's most important game of the season.

A victory over the Patriots would secure a playoff spot for the Chargers, while a loss would increase the odds of Los Angeles dropping to a Wild Card matchup.

The Los Angeles Chargers attempted to claim wide receiver Diontae Johnson off of waivers, according to ESPN's Field Yates.

After Johnson was waived by the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 20, he was ultimately acquired by the Houston Texans on Monday.

The Chargers and Texans were the only two teams to submit claims for the 28-year-old, but Houston had priority over Los Angeles in the waiver order and was able to land the wideout (via Yates).

Johnson opened the year as a member of the Carolina Panthers, but was traded to the Ravens on Oct. 29. He appeared in four contests with Baltimore before he was suspended by the team for one game after refusing to enter a 24-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13.

He didn't suit up in another contest with the team before he was waived.

In 11 games with the Panthers and Ravens this season, Johnson caught 31 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns.

Dalton 🎯 Diontae for 6!

📺: #ATLvsCAR on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/ziAgEojCST

— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024

The former third-round pick wasn't able to maintain the level of production that he achieved during his Pro Bowl season in 2021, but he remained a consistent contributor before struggling in 2024.

During his 2022 and 2023 campaigns with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Johnson hauled in 137 receptions for 1,599 yards and five scores in 30 combined appearances.

The Chargers have experienced a successful season under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, staying within in the AFC playoff picture at 9-6 while boasting the NFL's No. 1 scoring defense.

Depth at the wide receiver position has been an issue, as standout rookie Ladd McConkey is the only player on Los Angeles' roster that has surpassed 550 receiving yards this year. Quarterback Justin Herbert has been efficient in 2024, but he's also averaging a career-low 216.2 yards per game through the air.

As the Chargers continue their playoff push, they appear to be on the lookout for wide receiver help.