Chargers show finishing mentality in first game of the Jim Harbaugh era

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Since being hired as the Los Angeles Chargers coach, Jim Harbaugh’s mantra has been to be physical.

He also had his team participate in “fourth-quarter finisher” conditioning drills during the offseason and training camp to drive home the point that he wanted his team to be at its best in the final 15 minutes.

Both were on display on Sunday as the Harbaugh era began with a 22-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

“I’ve said it before, this is the Los Angeles Chargers approach,” Harbaugh said on Monday. “There have been a lot of fourth-quarter finishers that have gone before us, and I felt our guys when they put up the four. They thought about it. We did a lot to put us in position.”

The fourth quarter had been one of angst during Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn, and Brandon Staley’s tenures, but Harbaugh has made it a priority to change that.

The Chargers scored both of their touchdowns in the fourth quarter in a Harbaugh-style game. The defense made key stops throughout the game before the offense got things in gear.

The best example of complementary football came in the middle of the fourth quarter. The defense forced the Raiders to punt on fourth-and-1 at the LA 43 after stopping Las Vegas on short-yardage plays in the first half.

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The offense took over at their 8 after a punt and turned that into a eight-play, 92-yard drive that culminated in Ladd McConkey’s 12-yard TD catch to make it a 12-point lead. J.K. Dobbins had the critical play of the drive with a 61-yard carry. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Dobbins put Los Angeles on top with a 12-yard run off right tackle.

Dobbins, whose 46-yard run up the middle in the third quarter set the stage for Cameron Dicker’s third field goal, is the first Bolts back with a pair of carries of at least 45 yards in a game since Michael Turner in 2007.

Harbaugh’s message in the locker room after the game, though, was that the upcoming week was bigger than the opener. He pointed out that the biggest improvement teams make is between the first and second games.

“It’s great to play well and have a great game. But to win and still have stuff to work on is encouraging as heck for a player, unit and team,” Harbaugh said.

What’s working

Among all the great performances from the defense, the stat that sticks out the most is that Jesse Minter’s unit allowed the Raiders to run only one play in the red zone, which resulted in Khalil Mack sacking Gardner Minshew for a 4-yard loss. Mack, who definitely plays with an extra chip on his shoulder against the team he began his NFL career with, had three tackles and 1 1/2 sacks.

What needs help

The coverage units on special teams. Ameer Abdullah had a 28-yard kick return to the Raiders 33-yard line in the first quarter, and Tre Tucker returned a punt by J.K. Scott 21 yards to near midfield in the fourth.

Stock up

Poona Ford was an under-the-radar signing during the offseason, but had a big impact on the defensive line in his Chargers debut. Midway through the first quarter fourth-and-1, the defensive end blew past Raiders center Andre James and tight end Michael Mayer (who lined up as a fullback) to stop Zamir White for a 1-yard loss at the Raiders 40. Ford then picked off the first pass of his seven-year career in the fourth quarter when Mack tipped Minshew’s screen pass intended for Alexander Mattison.

Stock down

Josh Palmer is the Chargers’ most experienced wide receiver, had only two receptions for 15 yards. He is also facing a fine from the league office after being involved in a fight outside the end zone with Raiders cornerback Josh Jones following a failed 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter.

Injuries

Wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. is out for at least the next three games after being placed on injured reserve last Saturday.

Key number

0: Quarterback pressures allowed by Joe Alt in 11 one-on-one matchups against Raiders All Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. The previous time Crosby was shut out in a matchup against an offensive lineman was Week 9 of 2022 against Jacksonville. Alt, the fifth overall pick in the draft, allowed three pressures in his other 17 pass-blocking snaps.

67: Games it took for safety Derwin James to reach 500 tackles, making him the fastest defensive back to reach that milestone since 2000. Giants safety Landon Collins was the previous quickest when he reached it in 67 games.

What’s next

The Chargers look to go 2-0 for the first time since 2012 on Sunday at Carolina, the first of two straight road games in the Eastern time zone. The Panthers have won six of the seven meetings, with the Chargers’ lone victory coming in 2004 in Charlotte.

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