ClutchPoints
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is a strange bird. He’s not a nervous bird like chickens can be. He is known for strange things, though, and being a little bit eccentric. While his brother, John Harbaugh, seems a bit more grounded — and he does have a Super Bowl advantage over Jim — the younger Harbaugh is coming off a College Football Playoff Championship win with the Michigan Wolverines.
Jim skipped town on Michigan and ended up with the Chargers, and so far so good. He’s been a godsend for quarterback Justin Herbert — who has thrown 13 touchdowns compared to just one interception this season — and not only are the Chargers 7-3, but they’re on a four-game winning streak. The Chargers have beaten the New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and Cincinnati Bengals since late October. They’re on one heck of a streak, and if it wasn’t for the fact that the Kansas City Chiefs are 9-1 and until Week 11, seemed unbeatable, they would be contenders for the AFC West Crown.
It’s worth noting that could still happen if the Chargers keep winning and the Chiefs go on a losing streak. Right now, though, the Chargers are a real solid bet to make the AFC playoffs via the Wild Card. As it stands, they’re the fifth seed, but John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens are right behind them with a 7-4 record.
Frankly, that’s what makes the upcoming Week 12 matchup between the Chargers and Ravens so big. Not only is seeding on the line, but this game could very well be a preview of a potential AFC playoff matchup.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are smarting coming of a close loss to the 8-2 and AFC North Division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chargers, in the meantime, are riding high on that winning streak thanks to a 34-27 win over Joe Burrow and the Bengals. That was a big win for the Chargers and based on how they’ve looked this season, there is reason to believe that this Harbaugh and Herbert-led team can make a run.
True to form, though, Harbaugh wants to make sure his team isn’t reading its own press clippings.
“When people are giving you accolades and compliments and telling you you’ve arrived, kick them in the shins,” Harbaugh said in a recent news conference. “You kick them right in the shins, that’s what you do. … They’re trying to make you soft. Kick them in the shins.”
That’s a Harbaugh-ism if there ever was one, but the long-time head coach does have an important point to make to his team. Remember, this is a squad that is coming off a 5-12 season in which former head coach Brandon Staley was fired after Week 15. This is a historic franchise with plenty of winning history, but they obviously missed the playoffs last season, and in 2022, they were bounced out of the Wild Card...
